# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The investigation into the latest deadly school shooting is far from over, but that hasn't stopped some people from drawing conclusions about the alleged shooter's influences.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick argued that violent video games have created young people who are "desensitized to violence."

"Many [students] have lost empathy to their victims by watching hours and hours of video, violent games," Patrick said on ABC News' "This Week" Sunday, two days after 10 people died at a Santa Fe high school.

There's no evidence indicating how often the alleged shooter, a student at the school, played video games, if at all.

ABC News

But there's nothing new about the line of thinking that violent video games are a causal factor in deadly shootings, prompting years of research that has resulted in a range of conclusions.

Both sides of the argument

Some say there is no connection between the shooting that takes place in virtual reality and real life, while others say it can be one of any number of contributing factors.

Two experts with differing opinions include Chris Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University in Central Florida, and Douglas Gentile, a psychology professor at Iowa State University, who have both worked on numerous studies on the topic.

An overview of many studies will show that "we really don't see evidence that early playing of violent video games are related to later criminal violence behaviors or related to serious problems like bullying or dating violence," Ferguson said.

But Gentile notes that many active studies don't include criminal violence or shootings because it would be unethical to allow subjects to participate in such activity.

For Ferguson, the debate is "a generational thing," as many of the people who point a finger at violent video games tend to be older and inclined to use them as a scapegoat because of a lack of understanding and familiarity with the games.

"We're seeing more and more skepticism" of any perceived connection between violent video games and violent offenders, he said, "and I think that's because people that were gamers 20 years ago are now in their 40s and now they are journalists and politicians and scholars. So it's kind of like rock music in the '80s, when people thought [heavy metal band leader] Ozzy Osborne was the end of society and now nobody thinks Ozzy Osbourne was the end of society."

Iowa State's Gentile doesn't dismiss the connection outright, however, noting that rather than being the singular cause, exposure to media violence, which includes violence on television and in movies as well as on video games, is one of a number of contributing factors that could make someone more inclined to act aggressively.

"A higher consumption of media violence makes people more willing to behave aggressively when provoked," Gentile told ABC News.

He pointed out that there are any number of other risk factors and protective factors -- including an individual's sex (boys are naturally more disposed to be violent than girls, he said), how they're doing in school, whether they're being bullied or whether they come from a stable home -- that play significant roles as well.

"Every time we have a tragedy like a school shooting, we ask the wrong question: We ask what was the cause ... we assume there was a single cause," he said.

"We don't do things for a single reason only, ever."

Whatever the causes, the American Psychological Association (APA) passed a resolution in 2015 declaring that "scientific research has demonstrated an association between violent video game use and both increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive affect, aggressive cognitions and decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy, and moral engagement," among other findings.

As a result, the group called for further research and study in different areas of the issue and called on the rating system for video games to be refined, as well as further education for students and families.

More than 90 percent of U.S. children play some kind of video games, according to the APA.

Past examples

The investigation into the Santa Fe shooting is ongoing and no findings either confirming or denying any connection to video games have been reported, but the investigations into prior shootings have raised the possible connection.

One of the earliest was the 1999 shooting in Columbine, Colorado, where the two shooters were found to be fans of first-person shooter video games.

"Those kids had uninvolved parents," Iowa State's Gentile said of shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. "Those kids had psychiatric illnesses. Those kids had been bullied. Those kids also consumed media violence. Those are just some of the risk factors. Which one was the cause?"

Steve Starr/Getty Images

Stetson University's Ferguson pointed to other instances where shooters did play some violent video games while also having a lengthy history of playing other nonviolent video games. Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho was reportedly a fan of "Sonic the Hedgehog," and Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza had a history of playing shooting games but also spent hours playing "Dance Dance Revolution."

"When a shooter is an older male or more rarely a female, the issue of video games is never brought up," Ferguson said, citing the Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock as one such example.

"It allows people to preserve this narrative," he said.

Likeliness of changes in the laws

When it came time for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the violent video game debate in 2011, and in their case, the justices ruled on the side of video games, interpreted them as being protected under the First Amendment rights.

The case stemmed from a California law that banned minors from buying violent video games while unsupervised. The state court had nullified the law, which was backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, and the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's decision, voting 7-2 against the California law.

"Psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively," the syllabus of the decision reads.

Gentile said that given the First Amendment protections, "limiting access [to video games] is probably never going to work in this country, but what could work better is having a universal rating system."

The current rating system used on video games in the United States includes grades of E for Everyone, E 10+ for content generally suitable for ages 10 and up, T for Teen or those 13 and older, M for Mature which denotes 17 and up, and Adults Only for those 18 and over.

Erik Tham/Getty Images

President Donald Trump touched on the confusion over rating systems during a listening session with gun violence victims at the White House in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, shooting this year. In his comments, Trump seemed to suggest that there should be a violence-specific rating on movies and video games, or perhaps it should be incorporated more into the existing systems.

For Gentile's part, making a universal rating system across all kinds of media "could improve the information that's given to parents," he said.

The issue, as he sees it, is a matter of limiting any risk factors as necessary, because certain factors that researchers believe have an impact on physical violence -- like being male or living in poverty -- are impossible or hard to change, while others -- like media violence consumption -- are within grasp.

"If your kid doesn't have any other risk factor for aggression, [violent video games are] probably not going to prompt your kid into hitting other people, and certainly not going to turn them into a school shooter," Gentile said.

"But that's different from saying it had no effect because if something really had no effect on you, you'd call it boring. So we like the way media violence makes us feel scared and excited and has that adrenaline rush."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Breaking down the debate over violent video games and school shootings

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The investigation into the latest deadly school shooting is far from over, but that hasn't stopped some people from drawing conclusions about the alleged shooter's influences. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick argued that violent video games have created young people who are "desensitized to violence."...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many kids and adults play video games - they're not just of interest to young men.

According to the Entertainment Software Association's (ESA) 2017 survey:

65% of households have at least one member who plays games three hours a week or more, and the average gamer is 35 years old.

Of the "gaming" population, there are more adult women (31%) than boys under 18 (18%).

Of people who play video games, 59% are male and 41% are female.

Some researchers are concerned that excessive game playing could be a form of addictive behavior, though this is controversial.

The World Health Organization recently decided to add "gaming disorder" to its list of mental health conditions in the update of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), released June 18 .

The definition of the condition states that gaming behavior could be a disorder if it meets three characteristics: if a person loses control over their gaming habits, if they start to prioritize gaming over many other interests or activities, and if they continue playing despite clear negative consequences.

This would put gaming on a similar level as other behaviors that can become problematic if people lose control over them, though the concept of behavioral addiction is controversial in the first place.

Some researchers are uncertain about calling gaming "addictive," since problematic gaming may in some cases serve as a dysfunctional coping mechanism for people struggling with depression or anxiety.

The release of games like Grand Theft Auto didn't seem to increase crime rates - and may do the opposite.

Rockstar / Grand Theft Auto V

A 2015 study found that in the months after popular violent video games are released, aggravated assault and homicide rates tend to drop. The researchers behind the study said the explanations for this correlation are complicated. Some scientists think people might experience some aggression-reducing catharsis from playing violent games; others say that aggressive people might seek out violent media and then play games instead of engaging in behavior that might lead to criminal activity.

Either way, there doesn't seem to be any increase in criminal activity associated with playing games.

Many of the people involved in mass shooting incidents seem to be less interested in violent video games than their peers.

Psychology professors Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson found that about 20% of school shooters played violent video games, compared to close to 70% of their nonviolent peers.

A 2004 report on school shooters by the US Secret Service and Department of Education found that only 12% of school shooters displayed an interest in violent video games.

In the time period that violent video games have become popular, youth violence has declined.

It's easy to find video games that depict blood, gore, and violence. Yet studies show that youth violence has consistently declined as these games have become available.

One study out of Boston University found that youth violence rates dropped 29% between 2002 and 2014. Youth violence rates spiked from 1980 to 1994, according to the Urban Institute. But those rates started to plummet in the 1990s, dropping 34% between 1994 and 2000.

This is just a correlation - it does not mean that games cause violence rates to drop. But it also doesn't support the idea that violent games are "creating monsters," as Trump put it in 2012.

Video games can't explain the US's outlier status in terms of gun violence.

Various political figures have blamed school shootings on kids playing violent video games. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin said guns were not a problem but that games desensitized players to the value of human life. NRA President Wayne LaPierre said after the Sandy Hook shooting that "Guns don't kill people. Video games, the media, and Obama's budget kill people."

But a comparison of the 10 largest video game markets in the world shows that there are far more gun murders in the US than in other countries that spend a lot of money on video games. That's even true in countries that spend more on games per capita than the US does, including Germany, Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Japan, and South Korea.

If video games were responsible for violence, there should be more violence in those countries.

Some games, especially those involving shooters, are associated with improved visual processing abilities.

Researchers have found that video-game players can outperform non-gamers on visual tasks, and several studies have shown that video games can "train" visual processing skills in ways that translate to other activities.

In one study, researchers found that playing what they call "action" games (like "Call of Duty" or "Destiny") can lead to an improved visual acuity and ability to find objects in a distracting setting. A review of similar research found that the improvements gamers experience are as effective as formal courses designed to increase visual processing ability.

In some studies, gamers show an increased ability to pay attention while filtering out distractions.

One review of research on video-game players found that people who played shooter games were better able to filter out distractions while engaged in attention-demanding tasks.

The players were less distracted by other visual information than non-gamers in several studies the researchers analyzed. The same abilities weren't necessarily found in gamers who played other types of games, though.

It's not just vision - action games seem to boost hand eye-coordination for adults and kids.

Researchers studying the effects of gaming have asked gamers and non-gamers to complete a new motor-skills task that they hadn't seen before. They found that neither group was necessarily better than the other at the start, and both groups improved at the task over time. But the group that played video games became significantly more accurate by the end of the experiment.

Another small study found that young children who played video games had improved motor skills compared to their peers, though the researchers weren't certain whether these kids were simply more drawn to these games in the first place because of that skill.

Still, a review on the topic found that faster reaction times tend to be consistently associated with video game play.

Studies show that the more time kids (and adults) spend in front of screens playing games or watching TV, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese.

A number of studies show that the more time kids spend engaged in sedentary behavior, the more likely they are to be overweight. One study of German children found that kids who spent less than 1.5 hours a day in front of a TV were 75% less likely to be overweight than kids who spent more than 1.5 hours in front of a screen.

This isn't surprising, since the more time people spend sitting in general, the more likely they are to be overweight. And that can have serious health consequences in the long run.

It's worth noting, however, that other studies have shown that socioeconomic and demographic factors have a bigger impact on childhood obesity than game playing.

Kids who play sports video games are more likely to play sports.

Researchers who tracked Canadian high schoolers found that kids who played sports video games were more involved in sports. When kids started playing those games, they also became more likely to play real-life sports more in the future.

The researchers think that the games provided knowledge of the sport, which gave the children confidence that helped them get more involved in real life.

Researchers think video games could improve problem-solving capacity

Since many games include some puzzle-solving requirements, researchers have speculated that games could improve problem-solving skills and change the way people learn.

In one study of "World of Warcraft" players, researchers found improved problem-solving capacity, but they weren't sure whether the game made people better at solving problems or whether those people were drawn to the game in the first place.

Another study tracked kids who played strategy and role-playing games (like "Civilization V" or "Fable") and found they developed improved problem-solving abilities over the next year, indicating there may be some link.

Playing games can help people relax, feel better, and trigger positive emotional responses.

People play video games to relax, and research finds games can indeed help with that. Studies have shown that puzzle video games can decrease stress and improve mood.

According to research from the American Psychological Association, games can elicit a range of emotions, positive and negative - including satisfaction, relaxation, frustration, and anger. Experiencing these emotions in a gaming context may help people regulate emotions, learn to cope with situations, and challenge themselves, the APA said.

Other studies have shown that kids who play moderate amounts of games (less than an hour per day) have fewer emotional issues and are more likely to help others than kids who don't play games.

Researchers have used video game technologies like virtual reality to help people recover from PTSD, get over phobias, and learn to manage drug addiction.

Virtual-reality environments provide safe but real-feeling scenarios in which people can face fears and difficult situations with the support of a therapist. New technology is making these sorts of interventions much more accessible than they used to be.

VR has been used to provide exposure therapy for people with PTSD or phobias, as well as to provide scenarios that help heroin addicts deal with triggering moments.

Researchers have also used VR as an alternative to painkillers, since entering a "new reality" allows someone's brain to forget the pain they're dealing with during surgery.

The psychological effects of video games might vary depending on how much you play.

One study of 10- to 15-year-old children found that kids who played less than an hour of video games per day were more satisfied than kids who didn't play games or kids who played one to three hours per day.

The groups of kids that didn't play or played between one and three hours daily seemed to have the same level life satisfaction. Kids who played more than three hours a day were less satisfied than any of the other groups.

From what we know, there are ways that video games can help people relax, challenge themselves, and even push their cognitive abilities. At the same time, it's quite possible that excessive time spent playing games - as with any hobby - may be unhealthy or a sign that someone is struggling.

But in general, video games seem to be just another form of entertainment.

More: Features Health Video Games Gaming

Chevron icon
It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How playing video games affects your body and brain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many kids and adults play video games - they're not just of interest to young men. According to the Entertainment Software Association's (ESA) 2017 survey: 65% of households have at least one member who plays games three hours a week or more, and the average gamer is 35 years old.

# data[].attributes.body
The violent content presented in video games have been shown to increased aggressive behaviors in players. The more the players are expose to it, the percentage of them being violent and aggressive will increase.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Video game violence linked to bad behavior, study says

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The latest in the long-standing debate over violent video games: They do cause players to become more physically aggressive.

An international study looking at more than 17,000 adolescents, ages nine to 19, from 2010 to 2017, found playing violent video games led to increased physical aggression over time.

The analysis of 24 studies from countries including the U.S., Canada, Germany and Japan found those who played violent games such as "Grand Theft Auto," "Call of Duty" and "Manhunt" were more likely to exhibit behavior such as being sent to the principal's office for fighting or hitting a non-family member.

"Although no single research project is definitive, our research aims to provide the most current and compelling responses to key criticisms on this topic," said Jay Hull, lead author of the study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Based on our findings, we feel it is clear that violent video game play is associated with subsequent increases in physical aggression," said Hull, associate dean of faculty for the social sciences at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and the Dartmouth Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Video game violence has been a hot-button issue for more than a decade. Interest in research on video games' potential for violence increased after it was learned Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two teenagers who committed the Columbine High School shooting, played the first-person shooting computer game "Doom."

But in a 2011 Supreme Court decision overturning California's ban on the sale of violent video games to minors, the late Justice Antonin Scalia dismissed a link between the games and aggression. "These studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason: They do not prove that violent video games cause minors to act aggressively," he wrote in the majority opinion.

Since then, an American Psychological Association task force report in 2015 found a link between violent video games and increased aggression in players but insufficient evidence that violent games lead to criminal violence.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump convened a video game summit a month after the February shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Prior to that meeting, Trump said, "I'm hearing more and more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people's thoughts."

The Dartmouth researchers sought to reduce confusion about research findings - including disputes about the association between violent games and aggression - with a finely structured meta-analysis.

Those in the study who played violent games, whether frequently or infrequently, had an increase risk of aggressive behavior. The new research echoes Hull's previous finding that playing violent games equates to about twice the risk of being sent to the principal's office for fighting during an eight-month period, he said. A separate 2014 study he oversaw of violent video games in 2,000 families is one of the 24 included in the meta-analysis.

The effect is "relatively small, but statistically reliable. The effect does exist," Hull said.

While there's not research suggesting violent video games lead to criminal behavior, Hull's previous research suggests players may practice riskier behaviors such as reckless driving, binge drinking, smoking and unsafe sex.

"A lot of people ask, do these games really cause these kids to behave aggressively? I would say that is one possibility," he said. "The other possibility is that it's a really bad sign. If your kids are playing these games, either these games are having a warping effect on right and wrong or they have a warped sense of right or wrong and that's why they are attracted to these games. Either way you should be concerned about it."

In the research paper, Hull and the co-authors say they hope the findings will help research move "past the question of whether violent video games increase aggressive behavior, and toward questions regarding why, when, and for whom they have such effects."
Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Study confirms link between violent video games and physical aggression

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The latest in the long-standing debate over violent video games: They do cause players to become more physically aggressive. An international study looking at more than 17,000 adolescents, ages nine to 19, from 2010 to 2017, found playing violent video games led to increased physical aggression over time.

# data[].attributes.headline
A direct quote from the article, Violent Video Games and Aggression, by Lauren Goldbeck and Alex Pew, National Center for Health Research stated that "Violent video games can also desensitize people to seeing aggressive behavior and decrease prosocial activities such as helping an another person and feeling empathy. " They also follow up with the longer the individual are exposed to these contents, the more aggressive and violent their thoughts, feelings, and actions will be. 

# data[].attributes.subject
A direct quote from the article, Violent Video Games and Aggression, by Lauren Goldbeck and Alex Pew, National Center for Health Research stated that "Violent video games can also desensitize people to seeing aggressive behavior and decrease prosocial activities such as helping an another person and feeling empathy. " They also follow up with the longer the individual are exposed to these contents, the more aggressive and violent their thoughts, feelings, and actions will be. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lauren Goldbeck and Alex Pew, National Center for Health Research

After mass shootings, the media and public officials often question the role of the shooter's video game habits.

The American Psychological Association (APA) considers violent video games a risk factor for aggression.[1] In 2017, the APA Task Force on Violent Media concluded that violent video game exposure was linked to increased aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, as well as decreased empathy. However, it is not clear whether violent video game exposure was linked to criminality or delinquency.

Do Violent Video Games Increase Aggression?

Studies have shown that playing violent video games can increase aggressive thoughts, behaviors, and feelings in both the short-term and long-term.[2] Violent video games can also desensitize people to seeing aggressive behavior and decrease prosocial behaviors such as helping another person and feeling empathy (the ability to understand others). The longer that individuals are exposed to violent video games, the more likely they are to have aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. These effects have been seen in studies in both Eastern and Western countries. Although males spend more time than females playing violent video games, violent video game exposure can increase aggressive thoughts, behaviors, and feelings in both sexes.

Aggressive behavior is measured by scientists in a number of ways. Some studies looked at self-reports of hitting or pushing, and some looked at peer or teacher ratings on aggressive behaviors. Other studies looked at how likely an individual was to subject others to an unpleasant exposure to hot sauce or a loud noise after playing violent video games.

Unfortunately, few studies have been completed on violent video game exposure and aggression in children under age 10. There is also little information about the impact of violent video game exposure on minority children.

There have not been many studies on the effects of different characteristics of video games, such as perspective or plot. However, some studies have found that competition among players in video games is a better predictor of aggressive behavior than is the level of violence.[3]

Do Violent Video Games Increase Violence?

Violence is a form of aggression, but not all aggressive behaviors are violent. Very few studies have looked at whether playing violent video games increases the chances of later delinquency, criminal behavior, or lethal violence. Such studies are difficult to conduct, and require very large numbers of children. It makes sense that since playing violent video games tends to increase the level of aggressive behavior it would also results in more lethal violence or other criminal behaviors, but there is no clear evidence to support that assumption.

Policy

In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting in Florida in 2018, policymakers are again questioning the influence of violent video games. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) affirms that their rating system is effective, but the APA Task Force on Violent Media recommends that the ESRB revise their rating system to make the level of violence clearer. The Task Force also recommends that further research must be done using delinquency, violence, and criminal behavior as outcomes to determine whether or not violent video games are linked to violence.

Bottom Line

It is important to keep in mind that violent video game exposure is only one risk factor of aggressive behavior. For example, mental illness, adverse environments, and access to guns are all risk factors of aggression and violence.
All articles are reviewed and approved by Dr. Diana Zuckerman and other senior staff. The National Center for Health Research is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research, education and advocacy organization that analyzes and explains the latest medical research and speaks out on policies and programs. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies or medical device manufacturers. Find out how you can support us here.
References:

1. The American Psychological Association Task Force on Violent Media. (2017). The American Psychological Association Task Force Assessment of Violent Video Games: Science in the Service of Public Interest. American Psychologist. 72(2): 126-143. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0040413. Accessed on March 9, 2018.

2. Anderson CA, Shibuya A, Ihori N, Swing EL, Bushman BJ, Sakamoto A, Rothstein HR, Muniba. Violent Video Game Effects on Aggression, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior in Eastern and Western Countries: A Meta-Analytic Review. Psychological Bulletin. 2010.

3. Adachi, PJ and Willoughby, T. (2013). Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression. Journal of Youth Adolescence. 42(7): 1090-104. doi: 10.1007/s10964-013-9952-2.

4. Sanstock, JW. A Topical Approach to Life Span Development 4th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Ch 15. 489-491

5. Lemmens JS, Valkenburg PM, Peter J. The Effects of Pathological Gaming on Aggressive Behavior. Journal of Youth Adolescence. 2010.

6. Huesmann LR, Moise J, Podolski CP, Eron LD. (2003). Longitudinal relations between childhood exposure to media violence and adult aggression and violence. Developmental Psychology. 35:201-221.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Violent Video Games and Aggression | National Center for Health Research

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lauren Goldbeck and Alex Pew, National Center for Health Research After mass shootings, the media and public officials often question the role of the shooter's video game habits. The American Psychological Association (APA) considers violent video games a risk factor for aggression.[1] In 2017, the APA Task Force on Violent Media concluded that violent video game exposure was linked to increased aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, as well as decreased empathy.

# data[].attributes.headline
Violence in video games leads to violent behaviors as shown in many research and studies. For example, the American Psychological Association concluded that exposure to violent video games over a long period of time most likely leads to aggressive behaviors. Many studies found that long subjectivity to gory games numbs the brain and alter chemical component of the brain. Many of these chemicals controls our thoughts process and how we approach situations. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Violence in video games leads to violent behaviors as shown in many research and studies. For example, the American Psychological Association concluded that exposure to violent video games over a long period of time most likely leads to aggressive behaviors. Many studies found that long subjectivity to gory games numbs the brain and alter chemical component of the brain. Many of these chemicals controls our thoughts process and how we approach situations. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Violence in video games have contributed a great deal to the violent actions created by the players.

# data[].attributes.subject
Violence in video games have contributed a great deal to the violent actions created by the players.