Western society appears to be making progress in teaching children to be less violent.  Some psychologists argue that children's violent fantasies are helping them to work through violent feelings and accomplish just that.  All-the-while, violent fantasies, available in media and other entertainment, put children at odds with ideas adults have struggled with for centuries. 

Symbolic violence has long held an accepted place in human cultures.  Generations of children fell asleep listening to gory fairytales which were suddenly censored by modern society into feel-good stories with happy endings.  Kids went from being expected to carry toy weapons as signs of strength, glory and accessible self-defence, to being told to stop playing war.  At the same time, images of war surround us in the media and real life conflict. What truth should society be teaching?

The popularity of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books and more recently, Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Eldest dragon series, are a testament to the hunger of children and adults to experience violence and danger in order that they may be challenged to devise solutions.  Where resolutions to problems aren't found, at least characters generally can't say they never tried.