Video Games and ViolenceJas Duplessis

Do Violent Video Games Cause Players to Become Violent?

Why are video games synonymous with aggression?• Many video games have players playing against each

other. Competition can breed aggression.• Young children might try to copy what they see their

favorite video game characters do. This can be dangerous.

• Some video games depict violence very vividly because the technology used to make the games are so advanced.

• There are often arguments among gamers as to which games or consoles are better than the others.

How do we control mature games not being sold to kids?

• The ESRB reviews games before they are released and gives them ratings that correlate to the age someone has to be to buy that game

• eC – Early Childhood• E – Everyone• E 10+ – Everyone 10 and older• T – Teen• M – Mature 17 and older• A – Adults Only 18 and older• RP – Rating Pending

The Entertainment Software Rating Board

Examples of Violence Related to Video Games• On the 25th of June 2003, William and Josh Buckner shot

and killed Aaron Hamel and injured several others. They blamed their crime on influence from a Grand Theft Auto game.

• In 2008, a group of online gaming guilds got into a virtual battle. After one of the guilds lost a character they met up and fought in real life where one man was murdered.

• In October of 2010 Alexandra Tobias was frustrated that her son, Dylan Tobias, wouldn’t stop crying while she played Farmville she shook him to death

So Video Games Do Cause Crime!

Hold on, there. Those examples have a lot of things going on with them other than being related to video games.• Why did the teenagers blame their actions on a video game?

Perhaps they didn’t want to take all the blame for their crime.• Were the people who got in a gang fight over a video game loss

already aggressive, or did the game make them into spontaneous brawlers.

• Farmville isn’t a stressful game, perhaps Alexandra Tobias has a short fuse that was bound to run out some day.

There’s no way to know. But even if all of these events were caused by video games they are extremely isolated incidents.

Side by Side

• From 1996 – 2004 game sales were indirectly proportional to violent crime offences.

• This could mean that video games kept people too busy to commit crimes.

• Or they were used to release aggression in troubled individuals. According to the chart there is about a 1 in 400

chance that someone who plays video games also has violent tendencies

Can Any GameCause Frustration?

Many video games are challenging, because of that many games have the potential to make some one angry or anxious. But there are a few things to consider:• Different people find different things challenging, this means that the

same game could make one person upset and another person happy.• Just because someone blames their emotions on a video game, doesn’t

mean it is the games fault. They could have underlying issues or are not ready to take responsibility for how they behave.

• While some games may illicit feelings of aggression, the decision to act on them is always up to the person playing.

How Can I Make Sure My Children Aren’t Playing Inappropriate Video Games?

• If you buy their games, make sure you check the ESRB rating on the box to make sure it’s age appropriate.

• Make sure you know what the game is about, there are many more games involving cartoon squirrels with chainsaws than you would expect.

• Make sure that their playtime is limited, too much time playing any video game can be unhealthy so make sure they get enough time outside too.

Sources

www.ESRB.org

www.time.com

http://www.geek.com/games/teenage-killers-blame-gta-victims-family-sues-554190/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/florida-mom-alexandra-tobias-pleads-guilty-murdering-baby-crying-farmville-game-article-1.192666

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/russian-lineage-ii-player-beats-rivalto-death/1100-6235216/