I realise that most parents wouldn't have the foggiest idea on how to setup the Parental Controls on a console, but a lot of these people are probably the same ones who go around saying video games are bad for their children.
The whole thing should come down to this really:
Would you buy or let your 8 year old child watch an 18+ Rated movie?
If the answer is yes, then let them watch the movie - but don't be outraged at the possible outcome. Whether it be nightmares, increased swearing or whatever.
If it's no, the child doesn't watch it.
The amount of parents out there that would answer No to that question and yet still buy their child an 18+ video game... I'd wager was the vast majority of them.
Heck I remember as a kid wanting to buy some games that had a 18 rating on them and being told I couldn't buy them by the store, so I got my mum to buy them for me instead... Despite that she would have flatly refused to do that for an 18 rated movie.
The fact is, all of these ratings are there for a reason... Smoking, Drinking, Driving, Movies and Games all have age ratings for a reason. If your buying your child something that they should have until they're 18 then you have absolutely no right whatsoever to complain that your child has been directly effected by it.
