The truth is, there is no scientific research that validates a link between computer and video games and violence, despite lots of overheated rhetoric from the industry's detractors. Instead, a host of respected researchers has concluded that there is no link between media violence and violent crime.
"...the research data don't support the simplistic claims being made about a causal relationship between violent video games and real-world violence perpetrated by the broad range of teenagers who play them. More important, focusing on such easy but minor targets as violent video games causes parents, social activists and public policy makers to ignore the much more powerful and significant causes of youth violence that have already been well established, including a range of social, behavioral, economic, biological and mental health factors. In other words, the knee-jerk responses distract us from more complex but more important problems."
— Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games, And What Parents Can Do, 2008, p. 190.
To learn more about this book please visit www.grandtheftchildhood.com.
"… critics continue to target video games, as their graphics and plot capabilities grow more complex and at times more disturbing. Meanwhile, youth crime rates continue to decline. If we want to understand why young people, particularly in middle-class or otherwise stable environments, become homicidal, we need to look beyond the games they play. While all forms of media merit critical analysis, so do the supposedly 'good' neighborhoods and families that occasionally produce young killers."
— K. Sternheimer, "Do Video Games Kill?", Contexts, Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 13-17, Winter, 2007.
To read this research in its entirety please click here.
"The search for video game violence effects is a reasonable one. However researchers must be prepared to test their assumptions and the quality of the data that they are producing. When tragedies such as the Columbine High School shooting occur, it is tempting to look for 'scapegoat' answers to a complex problem. It is incumbent on researchers that they not let themselves be side-tracked by a prior hypothesis that may distract the scientific community and the general public from the real biological, social and family influences on violent behavior."
— C.J. Ferguson, "Evidence for publication bias in video game violence effects literature: A meta-analytic review," Aggression and Violent Behavior (2007), p. 17.
To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/354xdf.
There are "many inconsistencies in the reported amount of research into media violence. Put simply, there are a lot of myths, misinterpretations, and mis-representations surrounding the quantity and quality of research on this issue."
— Raymond Boyle and Matthew Hibberd, "Review of research on the impact of violent computer games on young people," Stirling Media Research Institute (2005).
To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/lt9fs.
"Most research on electronic play has focused on its possible negative effects for children and adolescents, and contextual factors such as socioeconomic status and culture are rarely considered…. The study explains how electronic games may also have potential benefits for young players that include providing children with the opportunity to negotiate society's rules and roles, allowing children to experiment with aggression in a safe setting without real world consequences, and facilitating children's development of self-regulation arousal."
— Dorothy E. Salonius-Pasternak, "The next level of research on electronic play: Potential benefits and contextual influences for children and adolescents," Human Technology (2005), pp. 1, 5-22.
To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/ov9km.
"[There is] no support for links between computer game playing and aggressive feelings, thoughts or behavior although these outcomes are well studied…. [This] review gives strong support for computer game playing having positive effects on spatial abilities and reaction time. Spatial abilities are traditionally considered one of the most important parts of our intelligence."
— A. Lager & S. Brenberg, " Health Effects of Video and Computer Game Playing — A Systemic Review of Scientific Studies," National Swedish Public Health Institute (2005).
To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/6da838.
"The research on video games and crime is compelling to read. But it just doesn't hold up. Kids have been getting less violent since those games came out. That includes gun violence and every other sort of violence that might be inspired by a video game."
— Helen Smith, forensic psychologist, youth violence specialist and author, quoted in Gerard Jones' book Killing Monsters (2002).
To learn more about this book and its author please visit www.gerardjones.com.
"It's time to move beyond blanket condemnations and frightening anecdotes and focus on developing targeted educational and policy interventions based on solid data. As with the entertainment of earlier generations, we may look back on some of today's games with nostalgia, and our grandchildren may wonder what the fuss was about."
— Cheryl Olson, "Media Violence Research and Youth Violence Data: Why do They Conflict?", Academic Psychiatry, 28:2, Summer, 2004.
To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/9km2j.
"It is very difficult to establish a link between the use of violent video games and real world acts of violence. This is because there are so many other variables which have not been controlled for in previous research -- these include social factors such as drugs, alcohol, mental illness, access to guns, and so on…. I think that directly linking video games to school shootings is overlooking other important factors -- such as mental illness or psychopathy in those who commit the crimes as well as access to guns."
— Dr Guy Porter, Clinical Researcher, Discipline of Psychological Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia quoted in a 2008 interview.
Just as with other types of entertainment, there is a wide variety of content available in computer and video games to suit the wide variety of individuals who play games. In order to ensure inappropriate games do not make it into children’s hands, computer and video games are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). This system gives both descriptions of content and age recommendations. In 2009, 48.2% of all games sold were rated "E" (for "Everyone"); 22.3% were rated "T" (for "Teen"); 17.4% were rated "M" (for "Mature"), and 12.1% were rated "E10+" (for "Everyone 10+").
The industry has also voluntarily established numerous tools and policies to help parents make educated choices and ensure that retailers only sell games to those whose age is appropriate for the game in question. For example, it is currently working with Governors and Attorneys General across the nation to spread the word further about the ESRB rating system. And the latest Federal Trade Commission report shows these efforts are paying off. Today, over 80% of parents are aware of the ESRB ratings system and over 70% of parents use the system in making buying decisions. In a Federal Trade Commission-issued report to Congress in December 2009, the U.S. computer and video game industry was acknowledged for “outpacing” other industries in (1): restricting the target-marketing of mature-rated products to children; (2) clearly and prominently identifying disclosing rating information; and (3) restricting children’s access to mature-rated products at retail.