Video Game Violence Translates to Adolescent Crime?

[shortbun]

I'm doing some research for a documentary. Do you think there is a link between video game violence and violence in children?

 

[Kimberly]

Messed up my vote. I actually play "violent" video games and I have never been in a physical fight. Ever.

I only play about 1-2 hours a week though. Love my Legend of Zelda on Wii!

 

[java]

I am not an adolescent anymore but I play Gears Of War and have never had a physical fight.

I think you are either pron to violence or you're not. Playing a game isn't going to make you violent. Or desensitize you to violence. Have you seen the movies from the 70's?

 

[luvsJack]

I agree with Java--someone is either prone to violence or they are not.

When a game player gets violent they usually have much worse problems than video games

 

[barkley]

i'll toss this out-we went to a parent meeting for the kids who will be graduating as 8th graders (as will our dd) and the topic of where the kids would be going on their class field trip came up. one location was totaly shot down by close to 90% of the parents because the place has video games in the lobby. the kids were not going to be playing the video games but apparantly the mind set of the bulk of the parents is that they won't even permit their kids to be within viewing distance. dh and i don't let our kids play what i'de consider the ultra violent games, and we certainly don't restrict them from going to places where video games are present, which seemed to be the mindset of the few parents that did'nt have an objection to the location.

here's the interesting part-when dh and i were discussing this later we realized that kids of the parents who banned all video game exposure were more often than not the ones who tended to get into trouble at school and exhibited what i consider abnormal anger, violence and destructive behaviours. the kids of the parents that either spoke out or we knew for a fact let their kids play video games were largely the ones you never heard of getting into anykind of these types of trouble.

i'm in agreement that video game exposure alone is not going to turn an otherwise "normal" adolescent towards crime or violence.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I remember a story around here once - there was a baseball video game where if the other team got on base you could beat him up - and if you beat him bad enough, he would step off the base and you would get him out. So some kid was playing first base and tried it! Personally, I just think the kid was a brat and was probably mad that the other team got a hit or whatever. No matter how much anyone plays a violent video game, as long as they are mentally stable, will quate that to real life and think that its OK to go out and shoot mobsters and hookers - or whatever they do on thoes games.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Yes and no.

My boys were kicking like insane people back when they were little and the Power Rangers were on TV. "Do not kick your brother!" If I said it once, I said it a thousand times. My brother hurt himself playing Evil Knieval (sp?) That's what little kids do - imitate the cool stuff they see and use their imaginations to supplement.

But actual, real violence? Nope. And nobody kills themselves because Judas Priest tells them to. Etc.

There have always been people who commit violent acts and always will be. Psychologists and Sociologists can study what is going on in the world and attribute the violoence to that, but some people are just violent and that's what they do.

That's my $.02 on that.

 

[Cindy B]

I actually did this topic as part of a writing assignment with my 6th graders. As part of the student credible sources, we cited a 2003 APA study on violence in the media. (You can find it if you look in Psychology Today either online or in print).

I believe in some cases there are some correlations between video games and violence. However, it goes down to the player-- the age, sex, personality type of the player and very important-- the family setting of the player. I also think the amount of time a violent game is played is a factor.

Case in point: I teach 5th and 6th grade. Most of the boys in both grades will write something violent that is a direct correlation with a video game. (Call of Duty is a personal favorite for most of the boys). However most of my girls will freewrite something about friends shopping, puppies and rainbows.. occasionally I get some girls that will write about anime, dragons and the like, but it is mostly cutesy stuff. These girls do play the violent games as well.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I always think its funny that people worry about video games making kids violent, but sports like hunting, wrestling, football, boxing, hockey, mixed martial arts, etc. are healthy, confindence building passtimes.

Heck, I certainly don't watch hockey for the game-play aspect. I wanna see those goalies throw down!

 

[goofy!]

drop 1 vote from extreme amounts and add 1vote to NO. I hit the wrong radio button

 

[shellybaxter]

I voted for the extreme option - but what I really wanted to say was the violent video games can be one component in adolescent violence

 

[shortbun]

I have always censored my son's games pretty heavily until recently. I've allowed the most recent Grand Theft Auto and rejected Saints Row II because it was just so acting like the violence was cool and the boys here thought so too. I let them rent and sit and watch. They respect my decisions(so far) as long as I'm really watching and tell them why. Also, there is very little time for video games around here as we spend loads of family time and then there's that thing called 'homework.' I love the recent basketball - NCAA and NBA on TV because it seems that video games are forgotten for a long while(March to June). I'll let you know how the documentary goes. It's only a short one, 5 minutes for a local spot. This poll will be mentioned as a poll of involved parents and people who care about children. The Psychologists and Sociologists seem to agree that extreme exposure seems to tilt a child's thought process. Luckily, the kids here are happy with the violence in the sports games mostly. They like to say they've played the others but always return to NBA or NFL or FIFA games of some type. Thanks for your input!!!

 

[maelstrom]

I've been playing violent computer games since I was 6, and I'm 23 now, and I've never been in a physical altercation. I chose this very topic for a paper I wrote in college; if you're interested in reading it, PM me.

 

[Shelton123]

I don't play video games, but I watch violent movies, and violent TV shows, and read violent books, but I'm the biggest pacifist I know. I've never been in ANY kind of fight what so ever, and I'm completely against any war.

 

[Cindy B]

I have always censored my son's games pretty heavily until recently. I've allowed the most recent Grand Theft Auto and rejected Saints Row II because it was just so acting like the violence was cool and the boys here thought so too. I let them rent and sit and watch. They respect my decisions(so far) as long as I'm really watching and tell them why. Also, there is very little time for video games around here as we spend loads of family time and then there's that thing called 'homework.' I love the recent basketball - NCAA and NBA on TV because it seems that video games are forgotten for a long while(March to June). I'll let you know how the documentary goes. It's only a short one, 5 minutes for a local spot. This poll will be mentioned as a poll of involved parents and people who care about children. The Psychologists and Sociologists seem to agree that extreme exposure seems to tilt a child's thought process. Luckily, the kids here are happy with the violence in the sports games mostly. They like to say they've played the others but always return to NBA or NFL or FIFA games of some type. Thanks for your input!!!

That is great that your children (and ones that you know) are happy with the sports type games, but not all children/adolescents are.

Many of my students dislike the sports games and my own children don't like them.

So your pieces is about violent games or violent sports games? There is a HUGE difference between the two. Some sports are prone to violence - the hockey example cited above, but the violence in say Call of Duty or GTA is way different than hockey thrown downs or some football plays.

An involved parent knows what their child is playing and can utilize the parental controls if needed. We have used the family timer on the 360 quite often!

 

[Rora]

Honestly, I feel that other things contribute more to adolescent crime than video games-- TV shows, Movies, the examples set by their parents, other adolescents, etc.

On the other hand, I believe violent videogames (and movies and tv) desensitize people (all people). However, there is a difference between desensitization and physically committing the crime.

 

[ChrisFL]

I said no...

If the child/adolescent has extreme amounts of exposure to any game or movie for lengthy periods of time without any activities, to me that means that A.) they need to get away from that B.) their parents aren't doing their jobs.

If I had to sit and watch shows like Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman for several hours, I'd probably turn violent.

I've played a lot of violent video games and watched violent movies (John Woo movies especially) and I have never been in a fight my whole life. I am a pacifist as well.

 

[alexandria674]

I personally play violent video games, but I am an adult and I can make my choice.

Would I let a kid play them though? I think it depends on the kid. For instance, one kid can play it and know that behavior of the characters is not acceptable or make believe and does know not to copy the violence tendecies because it is fake. HOWEVER, I do know of some kids who play video games and reenact them in playtime, but I don't zero in on video games all together because there are other aspects that can contribute to the child's aggression.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Kind of a tired subject....
I did not vote.

Mikeeee

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

This subject and variations on it go back decades. In the 70s and 80s, people claimed that Dungeons and Dragons would lead to demon worship. In the 50s, Fredric Wertham wrote in Seduction of the Innocent that comic books was the cause of juvenile delinquency.

I don't think violent video games are any more of a contributor than either of these or any other factor. What really matters IMO is how well a kid can differentiate fiction from reality.