"But again, it's important that I point out as a threat assessment and as a former FBI profiler, we don't see these as the cause of violence; we see them as sources of fueling ideation that's already there"
Pretty much what I've been saying for awhile. Violent people seek out violent media. Normal people don't turn violent because of videogames.
As for "helping parents understand" the rating system, what the hell is the industry supposed to do? Tattoo it on their arms? Is it really that complex? They're raising children and they can't understand what those fancy letters stand for? Holy cats.
It's more like a large percentage of parents don't care enough to bother, and there is nothing the industry can do about that. These kids aren't buying GTA and playing it in some null space dimension, they're getting these games directly from their parents and playing them on large objects called televisions, which are hooked up to expensive consoles. Seriously, the hell.
At some point society has to actually say, hey, if you don't want your kids playing violent videogame then stop buying them and, I don't know, maybe check to see what they're playing once in a blue moon.
Essay Pro