Children and Violent Video Games

"They turn children into drug addicts and criminals"... "They turn teenagers into devil worshippers"... "They are evil and destructive of social interchange"... "They are a fatal disease that encourages promiscuity"... "They poison the mind and immerse children into dangerous fantasy worlds." These were some of the things said of comic books, rock 'n' roll music, films, waltzing, and novels, respectively (Economist, 2007). If you think that this is laughable and absurd, you are not alone; and yet these same things are said today - about video games.

The moment we walk out our doors, we are bombarded with the demands of the "real world." Violence is among us, and no one is immune to this disease. Our children are suffering just as much as we are, and are just as prone to an outburst of temper. There are many factors that combine to make a person violent, and yet repeatedly, we as a society are looking for one simple answer. The truth is, there is no simple answer, and aggressive behavior in young children and adolescents cannot be blamed on the video games that they play.

Not long ago, there was a succession of violent acts at schools around the country. The media was understandably covering these stories at every turn, and at about this time, though we were never told specific names, we started to hear a lot about how violent the video games were that the perpetrators had spent their time playing. What followed was a massive amount of curiosity and speculation, which eventually became - and remains - a hysteric lynching mob of parents and other authority figures to rid the world of all violent video games.

After the noise died down a bit, we all had the assumption that the kids who had caused such pain could only possibly be antisocial, trouble-making, video game "freaks", who most probably wore dark scary clothing and were failing school. The truth about these kids, however, is that most of them were A and B students. Most had groups of friends, were involved in extracurricular activities both in and out of school, and rarely had any sort of behavioral problems. Only an eighth of these kids showed any interest in violent video games (Borum PsyD et al., 2002).

It is impossible to say that video games do not have some sort of affect on children (Van Evra, 2004). Whether positive or negative, everything does. However, studies have been done that claim to have found proof that playing a violent video game is directly correlated with aggressive behavior. In the 2003 study done by Craig Anderson and colleagues, for example, it is declared that playing these games causes children and adolescents alike to have more difficulty in social interactions, have violent thoughts, and act out with aggressive and angry behavior (Devilly et al., 2007). However, as Devilly et al. point out, the problem with these studies is that the tests used to prove aggressive behavior do not take into account the child's personality before playing the video game, nor do they take into account their lives outside of the laboratory setting (Devilly et al.).

In contrast to these findings, there have been studies that have been done that have found their results inconclusive (Cesarone, 1995). These studies cannot find proof that there is any relation between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior (Van Evra), and in fact have made note of many interesting points. One study pointed out that it is important to consider that rather than violent video games causing aggressive children, perhaps aggressive children are drawn towards violent video games (Bushman & Lemmens, 2006). It has also been stated that, "aggressive attitudes and behaviors are learned by imitating observed models" (Bar-on MD et al., 2001). If this is the case, perhaps we should all start looking at ourselves. We as adults are the ones that our children are constantly watching. We are the role models whom teach our children how to interact in the world.

Looking at the issue from a non-researcher perspective, let us think about all of the violence in the world today: drive-by shootings between rivaling gangs, fistfights in the schoolyard over an overheard comment, calls to the police because of domestic violence, and so on. Can we blame every act on the fact that the people involved have at one time in their lives spent some amount of time playing a violent video game? And if so, how do we explain all of the violence before video games were even a part of our everyday lives?

It is also important to remember the other kids - the hundreds of thousands of kids that play video games every day who do not act out in violence, who will never assault or attack anyone (Calvert & Richards, 2005). More than half of all Americans play video games - most of the games are considered violent - and yet violent crime in America has declined since games have become popular (Economist). In fact, according to Federal Crime Statistics, in 2004 juvenile violent crime was at a 30-year low in the United States (Jenkins, 2004).

In order for the information above to have more of an impact, perhaps looking at another study will help. The study done by Devilly et al. in 2007 is different than the rest due to the fact that in this study, rather than only measuring aggressive responses after game play, the researchers took measurements of the player's aggressive responses before, during, and after game play. The results from this study showed that some player's aggression increased, some decreased, and some remained the same. Many of these changes were related to the player's tendency for aggression (Devilly et al.). Similar studies found that violent video games do not lead to social dysfunction (Devilly et al.), nor do they lead to poor academic achievement or major adjustment problems (Van Evra). In fact, evidence indicates that playing a violent video game is not a strong enough force to overcome "social sanctions", meaning that because of the way our society looks upon violence, and we are raised in this fashion, violent video games will not cause us or our children to act out hostile feelings (Van Evra). Another interesting hypothesis is that video games actually lead to decreased anger, and that the violence in these games may not at all seem like violence to many players because of the role in which the violence plays (i.e. a rescue mission in a war game) (Van Evra).

While we are discussing some more positive effects of video games, it is probably fairly important to discuss what is considered a "violent" video game. Depending on the study that you read, or the news report that you hear, the speaker could be discussing any game that is not rated as educational. Some people consider WWE Smackdown (a wrestling game) violent, while others consider this game tame. Other people think "violence" refers to "war" games, such as Call of Duty, while still others think of Final Fantasy (a warrior-type, role playing game). Obviously, before we can start blaming our troubles on a violent game, we need to agree on the definition of "violent game."

Many positive things come from playing video games, though we very rarely hear about them. Most games these days are complex and require some quick thinking on the part of the players (Buechner et al., 1999). An ability to problem solve (Van Evra), hypothesize, and decode puzzles (Buechner et al.) is often key to completing levels. Some studies have shown that playing video games improves hand-eye coordination (Snider, n.d.), improves visual acuity by 20% (Maclean's, 2007), and is actually an effective tool in rehabilitation in patients with visual attention problems (Snider). It is also suggested that because of the fact that most female characters are depicted as powerful and independent, playing such games could help with boosting confidence in females (Jenkins). Also common knowledge (among gamers, anyway), is that playing these games is a great way to forge and keep friendships, learn cooperation, and acquire comradeship between players (Jenkins).

While most kids do play video games (90% of boys, 40% of girls), it is interesting to note that the majority of players are over the age of 18 (Jenkins). Actually, the average age of a gamer is 30 (Economist). Because of this statistic, most games are created for more mature audiences (Jenkins). Perhaps this is the reason for the implementation of the rating system. Games are rated depending on which audience the game is targeted for. Any game not appropriate for a younger child is rated accordingly, and often identification is needed for purchase.

With this convenient system in place, and the fact that 9 out of 10 households with children have rented or owned a video or computer game (Buechner et al.), it is amazing to find that 90% of teenagers polled have revealed that their parents never check the video game ratings before renting or buying them (Bar-on MD et al.) (83% of the time purchases are made by the parents (Jenkins)). Also interesting is that 58% say that their parents have no rules about video games (Buechner et al.), and most interesting of all is that a quarter of these kids play the games with their parents (Jenkins). This raises the question: if video games are truly such a concern, why are all of these parents allowing their kids to play them and even purchasing them for their kids?

When faced with a disturbing scenario, it is easy to find one answer and run with it. Looking too far deep into something as horrendous as a child committing murder is sometimes just too much. Unfortunately, finding a scapegoat the next time a child needs our help, will not alleviate the problem. Attempting to find the real reason behind the madness - and trying to find a way to help these kids - is the only thing that will really make a difference.

So what makes kids kill? One suggestion for the cause of aggression is school problems or poor parental supervision and involvement (Van Evra). It also does not help that many adults in authority are suspicious and hostile towards kids that play video games (Jenkins). But going from being aggressive to killing is a huge leap. According to the US Surgeon General Report in 2001, the strongest risk factors centered on the mental stability and quality of home life of the child (i.e. physical and/or emotional abuse) - not media exposure (Jenkins). The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Public Education states, "Repeated exposure to violent behavioral scripts can lead to increased feelings of hostility, expectations that others will behave aggressively, desensitization to the pain of others, and increased likelihood of interacting and responding to others with violence" (Bar-on MD et al.). In other words, if a child is raised in an environment in which violence is a common occurrence, they will begin to expect violence in all areas of life.

The way we are raising our children today is far different than children were raised by earlier generations. Beyond the obvious fact that there are wide varieties of households in America these days, we are raising our children with false expectations of the world. We are teaching them to be demanding by showing them our own selfishness. Claiming that we are all the same, that we all deserve and should demand respect, only sets our children up for failure. Eventually, the illusion will shatter to reveal the truth that life is not always fair, and not everyone is equal. Some people are smarter or better looking than others, and some people are more successful. Unfortunately, what we teach our children is that respect should be given, not earned, and that success comes not from hard work and values, but from getting up in the morning and putting their shoes on the correct feet. Our world is one in which we all expect immediate gratification, and once the realization hits a child that you have to work for what you get, it can be a big shock - one that some children may not handle as well as others. We need to prepare them for what lies out there, in the "real world", rather than sheltering them from what is in all actuality, reality. Sheltering them from reality refers to more than just the truth of respect and success - it refers to the truth about the violence in the world as well.

Federal Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner said it best when he expressed,

"Violence has always been and remains a central interest of humankind and a recurrent, even obsessive theme of culture both high and low. It engages the interest of children from an early age, and anyone familiar with the classic fairy tales collected by Grimm, Andersen, and Perrault are aware. To shield children right up to the age of 18 from exposure to violent descriptions and images would not only be quixotic, but deforming; it would leave them unequipped to cope with the world as we know it." (Jenkins)

Rather than banning everything in sight, we need to really pay attention to our children. Henry Jenkins, MIT Professor, states in his article Reality Bytes (2004) that if "a child responds to a video game the same way s/he responds to a real-world tragedy, s/he could be showing symptoms of being severely emotionally disturbed." A mentally vulnerable child can be pushed toward dangerous situations. Parents need to be aware of their children and share some responsibility for making decisions regarding what is and is not appropriate for them. If a child is increasingly lying, and becoming more ruthless and unprincipled, these are signs that need to be taken seriously (Lacayo & Rainert, 1998).

In a time when we all seem to have no time, finding a plausible scapegoat has become a favorite habit of many. It is understandable to place blame on a form of entertainment that we are unfamiliar with or afraid of. However, doing so only lessens the chances that our children have in this world. Rather than banning video games from a child's or adolescent's recreational activity, we all need to take a closer look at the children themselves. Taking the time to understand our children, and get them the help that they may very desperately need, is the key to stopping the violence that so many children are succumbing to.

References

Borum, PsyD, R., & Fein, PhD, R., Modzeleski, W., Reddy, PhD, M., Vossekuil, B. (2002, May). The final report and findings of the safe school initiative: Implications for the prevention of school attacks in the United States (). Retrieved March 30, 2008, from MSNBC Web site: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/PDFs/061002_Safe_Schools.pdf

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