Swedes define, then ban, war-toys

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 17

Swedes define, then ban, war-toys

By

ROSS BROWN,

in Oslo

Sweden’s move to stop the sale of war-toys from December this year has caused the Norwegian Consumer's Council to make similar proposals .to local toy marketeers. At a seminar in Oslo it was emphasised that war must never be treated as an acceptable game by Children. “Tell our children that war happens.” said a representative of the Consumers and Administration Department, “but don’t give them the idea that it is a natural event. “If they must exert their aggression through a

game, then they can easily be encouraged to do this in other ways than being given replicas of modern weapons.” The Swedish initiative is not a ban, rather a compromise reached between government commissions like the Council for Children’s Games and the toy industry. Although lacking the background of serious research to suggest that children are emotionally or psychologically affected from resolving conflict by violence, the council has emphasised that war-toys cannot be constructive playthings.

A Social Democrat politician, bringing the matter before the Riksdag (parliament), said: “If we give our children war-toys then we give them the notion that killing for the sake of power is normal. “The commercialisation of war is widespread enough in cheap films and paperbacks without children having to be exploited by foreign companies marketing plastic machineguns and fighter planes.’’ Only one difficulty was met by the proposers of removing war-toys from Sweden — the definition of a war-toy. One vendor

claimed that a model set of a private light aircraft can also be considered a war-toy: any 1 sort of plane can carry a bomb. Another toy salesman added that a flat-iron used by small girls in their dolls-houses could also become a weapon if handled without respect to others. However, the body of Swedish thought, unmoved by such reactions, was convinced that children’s war-toys, as well as those manipulated by generals, should not be granted a sense of approbation. If children really must

play war, let them fashi°n their own spears or arrows. In otne. ,/o« items that they understand have no connection with the terror of sophisticated modern warfare. The eventual compromise stated that manufactured toys depicting aspects of war before 1914 would be sold, meaning that Roman Centurions or Napoleon's cavalry would be permitted but not a Sherman tank or a B-52 bomber. . The two major world wars must not be exploited, Games highlighting warfare situations,

and played with’ dice or cards, will not be on sale. Yet model sets of Spitfires' or aircraft carriers are still legal. These are generally ' hobby items bought by adults or teenagers, and are already unavailable to Swedish children under 14 because of glue that can corrode the skin. ' , However, the cartons must be illustrated by “neutral” scenes that do not glorify attack, explosion, or death. ‘-Yell, let’s not stop

here,” wrote one Swede to a paper. “Now we must stop the generals playing with their war-toys.’'’ Meanwhile the Council for Children’s Games asserts that it hgs no - intention of stopping at this point. Its aim is to research what constitutes a proper game.) that can aid, the physical and psychological development of the child, and .their findings will continue to be transmitted to. interested tpy-market-eers and parents.