Although there's yet to be a study that conclusively proves a direct causal relationship between video game violence and real-life violence, psychologists are continuing to examine the effect violent media can have on children. A new study by Simmons College Communications Professor Edward T. Vieira, Jr., Ph.D. and published in the 2011 spring/summer edition of the Journal of Children and Media, notes that violent video game exposure can actually hinder a child's moral development.
The study looked at moral reasoning among children ages 7-15, based on such variables as age, gender, perspective-taking, and the ability to sympathize. The research found that frequent exposure to violent video games can impact children's perception that some types of violence are acceptable. "The study also found that children who spend a great deal of time playing violent video games (as defined by the Entertainment Software Rating Board) have an increased likelihood of accepting all types of violence," reads the report. "The study confirmed that boys spend twice the amount of time playing violent video games as girls do, and highlighted the increased risk faced by boys who can become desensitized to violence because of frequent exposure to violent video play."
"Certainly not every child who continues to play violent video games is going to go out and perpetrate a violent act, but the research suggests that children — particularly boys — who are frequently exposed to these violent games are absorbing a sanitized message of 'no consequences for violence' from this play behavior," said Vieira. "The concern arises when children are taking in this message and there is a convergence of other negative environmental factors at the same time, such as poor parental communication and unhealthy peer relationships."
One of the problems with violent games, the study suggests, is that they often do not provide the perspective of the victim of a violent act. Moreover, repeated exposure to violent video games can "impede the perspective-taking development during a crucial developmental period."
The study also made sure to note that although it polled children ages 7 to 12, many reported playing games rated "M" for mature. It did not say whether this was a result of bad parenting or lack of enforcement at retail.
11 Comments
April 5, 2011
Well, what are you going to do? Actually, I have the answer to this problem of desensitised youths drunk on wanton destruction, and you can read about it here:
http://deepspod.blogspot.com/2011/04/ive-been-reading-with-interest-report.html
April 5, 2011
Or rather, here.
April 5, 2011
This doesn't surprise me, but the important thing to consider is whether this is the same with exposure to ANY violent medium. I've seen anecdotal evidence that early exposure to gory horror films might have similar effects on young psyches.
Of course, that's why all these mediums have ratings systems to let parents know what's acceptable to their children, and because we live in a free society, these games are allowed to release and parents can choose to ignore those warnings if they want.
April 5, 2011
Yes, I agree. On this note, I suggest that kids considered too immature to be playing violent video games must be guided away from such games and be encouraged instead to just play violent Mickey The Mouse video games.
April 5, 2011
I'd like to know who these parents are who are letting their kids ages 7-12 play M rated titles. Terrible parenting.
April 5, 2011
James Brightman is right, Parents who let their 12 year olds play games like Battlefield: Bad Company 2 are just asking for problems I have been gaming for 19 years and over the past 19 years I have run into kids as young as 7 years old playing Counter-Strike.
Parents should keep their kids off the computer and out of video games.
Video games are not the problem parents are.
April 5, 2011
The opening sentence says it all "Although there's yet to be a study that conclusively proves a direct causal relationship between video game violence and real-life violence".
Violence, or even adolescent violence, is not a phenomenon of just the last 25 years. Videogames are just the latest societal scapegoat for bad parenting – see also heavy metal music, Tom and Jerry Cartoons, horror movies, long hair on boys, rock-n-roll…..
April 5, 2011
While I could easily see this being true there is no game that could compare to real life violence. I remember my very first day of Junior Highschool and two kids fighting and bloody in a knife fight. While it's not gun violence it sure paled in comparison to whatever sega was doing then. I had several friends who was stabbed in the side and one the in the head. One shot and another home who was shot up. It ain't the same.
April 6, 2011
Thinks this should be common sense without a study to prove it but apprently it isn't since many kids are playing these games with M rating.
April 6, 2011
When are we going to give up on this topic already? let's look at something here for a second:
1 - TITLE OF THIS ARTICLE - "Violent Games Can Hinder Development of Empathy in Children, says Study" (Take note of the 'says study' part)
2 - FIRST SENTENCE OF ARTICLE - "Although there's yet to be a study that conclusively proves a direct...." (Completely the opposite of the first point.)
3 - WITHIN SAME PARAGRAPH AS ABOVE - "A new study by Simmons College Communications ....
So I'd just like to know what's the REAL story here. Confuse everyone into thinking it's an issue instead of actually addressing the issue of BAD PARENTING. Or is it the same old "let's pick on video games because we are too scared to yell at REAL people for fear they might actually kick our asses. After all, if i tell the video game it's a f***ing whatever, I know it's NOT going to kick my ass.
April 9, 2011
I don't think the concept here is not to let children play video games, but not to let very young children play very violent video games. I know plenty of six and seven year olds whose parents let them watch violent horror movies and buy whatever M-rated video game they ask for. Kids who are that young have trouble differentiating between fantasy and reality, so if people are getting beaten and shot in the game or on TV and don't face any consequences for that, they're going to think that some of those behaviors are okay.
So yes, it's an issue of bad parenting, not bad games.