Video Vigilantes

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According to some psychologists, however, even make-believe depictions of death have more influence than people realize. "One of the great myths is that unrealistic violence has no impact," says Craig Anderson, a psychology professor at Iowa State University who testified before the U.S. Senate in 2000 that violent games increase aggressive behavior and thinking. "Even in studies using cartoonish characters, you still get increases in aggression." What has yet to be studied, says Anderson, are the long-term psychological effects of the games--although with more than 90% of kids playing video games today, one problem researchers won't face is a shortage of gamers to study.

Parents, of course, don't have the luxury of waiting to see what such studies reveal, especially when their children are pressing them to get the latest games now. As a result, many moms and dads, even a few of those who consider the violent and sexual content in some of the most popular games objectionable, can find it hard not to give in to their kids' passion for them. Therese Palmer, 42, of Rockwall, Texas, once picketed a store that sold violent toys, but she admits that she lets her two sons, 9 and 15, play Grand Theft Auto and other Mrated games. "I hate that the games are violent and so over the top, but this is the world we live in," she says. "I want to raise my kids with a sense that I trust them to be good and to know how to set their own limits." Governor Blagojevich is hoping his bills will take care of those others tempted to step over the line. --With reporting by Anna Macias Aguayo/Dallas, Noah Isackson and David E. Thigpen/Chicago and Laura A. Locke/ San Francisco