NETHERLAND: Research has revealed that violent video games may agitate children but it does not translate them into getting violent towards others.
Because of claims of mass media and the general public that linked violent video games as a reason for their kid’s violent behavior, analysts had believed that violent video games may instigate kids into getting violent behavior.
Moreover, another section of the populace had linked out different factors like mental health issues and easy access to guns, as more plausible causes for individuals to become violent.
Recent research published in the ‘Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization’, where a Senior Lecturer in the University of London, Dr. Agne Suziedelyte focused on boys aged 8-18 years, the age group she believes is most likely to play violent video games.
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Dr. Suziedelyte had her focus on the probable effects of violent video games on two types of violence, the first one is aggression against other people and the second is the destruction of things. In the methods used no evidence was found linking an increase in violent actions against other people after a new violent game gets released.
However, Dr. Suziedelyte said, “Taken together, these results suggest that violent video games may agitate children, but this agitation does not translate into violence against other people – which is the type of violence which we care about most.”
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“A likely explanation for my results is that video game playing usually takes place at home, where opportunities to engage in violence are lower. This ‘incapacitation’ effect is especially important for violence-prone boys who may be especially attracted to violent video games.” She added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Suziedelyte further explained that policies that place restrictions on video game sales to minors are unlikely to reduce violence, as it does not have any effect on their minds and will not likely be causing any changes in their behavior for instigating them to get violent.
