# data[].attributes.body
Supporting:

1. Desensitization: Violent video games can make players less sensitive to real-world violence.

2. Reinforcement of violent behavior: Violent video games may encourage violent behavior by rewarding players for violent actions.

3. Imitation: Children who play violent video games may imitate violent behavior seen in the game.

4. Socialization: Children who play violent video games may be more likely to view violence as a normal and acceptable way to solve problems.

Contradicting:

1. No conclusive evidence: There is no clear evidence that video games directly cause violence.

2. Correlation vs. causation: There may be a correlation between playing violent video games and engaging in aggressive behavior, but it does not necessarily mean that one causes the other.

3. Benefits of video games: Video games can have positive effects on players, such as improving cognitive skills and social connections, which are not consistent with the idea that video games lead to violence.

4. Individual differences: Not all players who play violent video games become aggressive, and some players may even experience a cathartic effect, relieving stress and reducing aggressive tendencies.

# data[].attributes.body
The press release summarized a report by the APA's Task Force on violent media, which reviewed over 200 research papers on the effects of violent media on children and adolescents.

According to the press release, the Task Force found that playing violent video games can increase aggressive behavior and thoughts in children and adolescents. The report also noted that exposure to violent media can desensitize individuals to violence, making them more likely to engage in violent behavior in the future. The press release stated that these effects are not limited to short-term exposure, but can persist over time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
WASHINGTON - Playing violent video games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Kombat can increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior both in laboratory settings and in actual life, according to two studies appearing in the April issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Furthermore, violent video games may be more harmful than violent television and movies because they are interactive, very engrossing and require the player to identify with the aggressor, say the researchers.

"One study reveals that young men who are habitually aggressive may be especially vulnerable to the aggression-enhancing effects of repeated exposure to violent games," said psychologists Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., and Karen E. Dill, Ph.D. "The other study reveals that even a brief exposure to violent video games can temporarily increase aggressive behavior in all types of participants."

The first study involved 227 college students who completed a measure of trait aggressiveness and reported their actual aggressive behaviors (delinquency) in the recent past. They also reported their video game playing habits. "We found that students who reported playing more violent video games in junior and high school engaged in more aggressive behavior," said lead author Anderson, of Iowa State University. "We also found that amount of time spent playing video games in the past was associated with lower academic grades in college."

In the second study, 210 college students played either a violent (Wolfenstein 3D) or nonviolent video game (Myst). A short time later, the students who played the violent video game punished an opponent (received a noise blast with varying intensity) for a longer period of time than did students who had played the nonviolent video game.

"Violent video games provide a forum for learning and practicing aggressive solutions to conflict situations," said Dr. Anderson. "In the short run, playing a violent video game appears to affect aggression by priming aggressive thoughts. Longer-term effects are likely to be longer lasting as well, as the player learns and practices new aggression-related scripts that can become more and more accessible for use when real-life conflict situations arise."

"One major concern is the active nature of the learning environment of the video game," say the authors. "This medium is potentially more dangerous than exposure to violent television and movies, which are known to have substantial effects on aggression and violence."

Article: "Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life," Craig A. Anderson, PhD, Iowa State University of Science and Technology and Karen E. Dill, PhD, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 78, No. 4.

Reporters: Karen E. Dill, PhD, can be reached by telephone at (828) 328-7209
The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 159,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 59 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Violent video games can increase aggression

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The engrossing, interactive nature of violent video games may increase aggression by priming aggressive thoughts.

# data[].attributes.body
The article reports on a study conducted by researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute, which found no evidence to support the claim that playing violent video games leads to aggressive behavior in teenagers. The study surveyed over 1,000 adolescents and their caregivers about their video game habits and levels of aggressive behavior.

One of the key findings of the study was that there was no significant correlation between playing violent video games and increased aggressive behavior. The researchers also found that factors such as gender, age, and pre-existing levels of aggression were better predictors of aggressive behavior than video game habits.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Playing video games doesn’t lead to violent behaviour, study shows

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Analysis of 28 global studies dating back to 2008 found a minuscule positive correlation

# data[].attributes.body
The article notes that numerous studies have found a correlation between playing violent video games and increased aggressive behavior in children. The article also discusses some of the potential mechanisms by which playing violent video games may lead to aggression, such as desensitization to violence and the reinforcement of violent attitudes and beliefs. while many studies have found a link between violent video games and aggression, some researchers have questioned the strength of this link. The article also notes that other factors, such as family environment and individual differences, may play a role in determining whether or not playing violent video games leads to aggressive behavior.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're a parent with children at home, chances are you're familiar with the question of "to allow or not to allow": the huge dilemma parents face when deciding if they should let their kids play violent video games.

There's been a lot of debate over the issue of how exposure to violent video games and other violent media content, such as in movies and TV shows, affects children.

Many studies indicate that violence in media may be a risk factor for development of aggressiveness in some kids, reduced caring about others, increased confrontational and disruptive behavior, and other antisocial behaviors.﻿﻿

Most researchers say it's unlikely that playing violent video games will cause a child with no other risk factors for violence to turn into someone who's extremely violent and harms others. Nevertheless, one of the best arguments for limiting all kids' exposure to violent media content, regardless of their personal background, comes from a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics.﻿﻿

Effects of Violent Video Games: What the Study Showed

The study was led by Douglas Gentile, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University and a renowned expert on the effects of media on children and adults. It showed that kids who repeatedly play violent video games learn to think in aggressive ways that can eventually influence their behavior.

For the study, researchers tracked more than 3,000 children in 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th grades for 3 years.

Researchers found that, over time, playing violent video games caused kids to think more aggressively and behave more aggressively.

"Kids are changing the way they think" after long-term exposure to violent video games, says Dr. Gentile. He explains that this can lead to changes in both thinking and behavior: "They spend a lot of time looking for enemies and reacting quickly to aggression."

For example, a child who regularly engages in violent fantasy in the video game world may be more likely to think, say, or do something aggressive or unkind if he is bumped accidentally by someone in the hallway at school.

"The body treats it like a real fight," Dr. Gentile points out.

How "Practicing" Aggression With Video Games Teaches Real-Life Aggressiveness

Whether it's a musical instrument, a dance routine, or Taekwondo moves, kids practice activities over and over so they can perform them better and better. They develop muscle memory for the activities and become more skilled at them both physically and cognitively.

Similarly, says Dr. Gentile, repeated exposure to violent or inappropriate content can provide a setting for "practicing" violent behavior until a child learns how to do it well.

"What we're talking about is learning," says Dr. Gentile. "That's true for aggressive or non-aggressive media."

What About Exposure to Non-Violent Content? In previous research, Dr. Gentile found that video games, TV shows, movies, and other content that portray characters as being helpful, kind, and cooperative had a positive influence on kids' behavior.﻿﻿ (Remember all those positive lessons we learned as kids watching Sesame Street?)

In other words, caring and sharing, like aggression and violence, can be practiced and learned, too.

"What can I, as a parent, do?"

More than 90% of kids are thought to play video games, so you can't expect to turn back the tide.﻿﻿ What you can do is get more involved in what your child is seeing and doing. You goal: to minimize exposure to violent content and tilt your child's activities toward positive influences as much as you can.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Are Violent Video Games Training Kids to Think and Act Aggressively?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Violent video games and other media violence can "teach" children to behave aggressively. Learn the results of a study of more than 3000 children.

# data[].attributes.body
How does playing violent video games affect aggressive behavior in children?

Exposure to violent video games has been shown to increase aggressive behavior in children, as evidenced by numerous studies demonstrating a correlation between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior. This paper will examine the ways in which violent video games contribute to aggressive behavior in children, including the desensitization to violence and the reinforcement of violent attitudes and beliefs, as well as exploring potential interventions to mitigate the negative effects of violent video games on children's behavior.