THUNDER BAY – Young people given the opportunity will spend hours playing video games, or being online on Facebook, and other gaming sites. Today, the Thunder Bay Police Service share an incident involving a troubled youth may serve as a good example of how reaching out to give help can be the right thing to do.
On February 26, 2011 a 14 year old Thunder Bay youth was playing an XBox game which involved a number of other online players. The Thunder Bay gamer became concerned about comments one of the players was making. The online player was talking about harming himself. The youth called local police for help.
An officer arrived at the Thunder Bay teen’s home, and began an online chat with the troubled player. It was learned that the youth is 14, and lives in Texas. After a two and half hour conversation over a gaming headset, the officer was able to convince the youth to involve his dad. The American youth’s parents were grateful for the intervention by the Thunder Bay Police Service Officer, and the Thunder Bay teen.
The rapid growth in online gaming offers a lot of fun for youth and adults alike. It also offers a chance to do the right thing and to offer a helping hand to those in need. Something to think about the next time you go gaming!