Going Soft

Should You Be Concerned About the Latest Gunplay Rage?

By Teri Brown

It was just a normal night for three middle school friends hanging out together. They were going to walk from one house to another to get overnight stuff for an impromptu slumber party. It was a little late, but in this quiet suburban neighborhood, neither they nor their families ever thought about curfews.

That was about to change.

A policeman stopped them on the way and asked if they had any ID. They had more than ID. They were carrying enough air soft weapons to supply a small war. Several pistols, rifles and even a machine gun were tucked into their jeans and backpacks.

The boys quickly told the cop that they were carrying air soft weapons, and they were shocked when the cop unsnapped his holster and asked them all to stand with their hands against the car while he quickly disarmed them.

"Honestly? I was more afraid that I would get my air soft guns taken away than I was getting into trouble," says Tim Beckman, a 14-year-old air soft gun aficionado from Portland, Ore.

Beckman and his friends organize air soft wars in the woods near his house, and other than the time they were stopped by the police, they have never run into any trouble.

"My mom doesn't like them much, but my dad doesn't mind them," Beckman says. "He plays with them, too, sometimes."

If you don't know what air soft guns are, you don't have a young man in the house. These weapons have all the fun and versatility of a BB gun, only the pellets they shoot are made out of plastic, and the players can actually shoot one another. Air soft wars were born, with the 11- to 16-year-old set taking to the woods with gleeful joy. Many parents are afraid that air soft guns may make their son more aggressive, but experts don't necessarily agree.

Dr. Charles Sophy is the medical director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. He believes that developing an increased level of aggression depends on the young man's personality and family situation.

"If they are aggressive by nature, this may intensify their behavior," Dr. Sophy says. "Otherwise, air soft guns alone shouldn't cause aggressiveness. It can be an outlet for healthy aggressiveness, as long as it is placed along the correct context. This should include structuring the activity, discussing it in age-appropriate terms with your child and possibly building an incentive program where the privilege to use it is earned, similar to an allowance."

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