In the video game Mortal Kombat: Deception, players have the opportunity to help out their allies: if your buddy has a toothache you simply punch him in the face, knock him out, and solve his problem. As for your enemies, you can be less kind, goring them on sharp spikes, crushing them in huge metal presses, or simply making them bleed to death from mere flesh wounds. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas players acting as gang members shoot police officers, burglarize homes, commit carjackings, and beat prostitutes. To be sure, they are all just fun and games. But they are also surprisingly accessible -- the kind of fun and games that any ten-year old child can purchase or rent with ease on any given day across the nation.

In Illinois, Governor Rod Blagojevich is taking bold steps to give parents the valuable tools they need to protect their children from the impact of excessively violent and explicit video games. Last month, he proposed legislation that would make his state the first in the nation to ban the distribution, sale, rental, and availability of such games to children under 18. At the same time, he launched a comprehensive website where parents can find information about the impact of violent games on children's behavior and exchange warnings about inappropriate games.

"Parents today face unprecedented challenges in monitoring and protecting their children from harmful influences," Blagojevich said. "They have to worry about a lot more than bullies and bad influences outside the home. Now, because of advances in technology, our kids have easy access to information and images inside our homes that our own parents would never have dreamed of exposing us to."

The new legislation would require retailers to label violent and sexually explicit video games in a manner similar to the 'Parental Advisory' label found on music CDs, and post signs explaining the rating system. The rules would be enforced by state and local authorities in conjunction with the Department of Revenue. Blagojevich has also appointed a task force to advise him on implementing the initiative. The group, which includes Illinois State Rep. John Fritchey, local parents, community leaders, and clergy, will work to clearly define the legislation and its restrictions.

A 2001 study from Iowa State University found that exposure to violent video games increases aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. And a Stanford University study found that when the amount of time third and fourth graders spent watching television and playing video games is reduced to less than seven hours a week, their verbal aggression decreased by 50 percent and physical aggression decreased by 40 percent.

"These games use violence, rage, and sexual aggression as play." Blagojevich said. "That is not acceptable. When kids play, they should play like children, not like gangland assassins."

Even though mature games are labeled with the Entertainment Software Ratings Board's "M" rating, there are no legal mechanisms in place preventing children from buying them. Unlike the motion picture industry, the video game industry has not developed an effective self-regulation system that keeps adult material out of the hands of minors.

Blagojevich's policy acknowledges that parenting is hard work. Everyday, the tasks of raising children while juggling the concerns of work and family is made more difficult by both economic and cultural strains. This proposed initiative takes those concerns seriously -- it works to empower parents, returning to them the primary responsibility for making choices about the kinds of video games with which their kids play.

"There's a reason why we don't let kids smoke or drink alcohol or drive a car until they reach a certain age and level of maturity. That's just common sense," Blagojevich said. "And that same common sense should be applied to excessively violent and sexually explicit video games."