Video games encourage violent behavior in adolescents
“It is clear to me that the causal relationship between televised violence and antisocial behavior is sufficient to warrant appropriate and immediate remedial action…There comes a time when the data are sufficient to justify action. That time has come.” (Steinfeld,1979). This statement was wade almost 40 years ago. Earlier this year Donald Trump said:
“I’m hearing more and more people saying the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts,”.
The notion that violence displayed in media, such as video games, causes violent behavior is not new, and will not go away soon.
These days video games a more often than ever linked to violent behavior in adolescents. This statement only accounts to violence displayed on television. With the introduction of other media, like video games who display violence, this phenomenon happens more often. The American Psychologic Association reports that more than 90% of children in the United States play video games. Among kids between the ages of 12 and 17, the number rises to 97%. More important, 85% or more of video games on the market contain some form of violence. Are violent video games responsible for violent behavior in adolescents?
Violent video games and behavior
Video games have more impact on the aggressive behavior of adolescents than aggressive television programs do. Video games involve active gameplay. This means that the person playing has to actively decide what to do and has to learn how to do it. This encourages interest in the topic of the game. This gives a realistic stimulation of the violent experience. Actively playing a violent video game results in more violent behavior compared to watching a violent video game or a violent television program. (Persky, Blascovich, 2007). Active gameplay also involves first person game play. This causes the player to be able to identify with the character in the game. They share the same visual perspective. When watching television or watching someone else play they do not share the same experience with the character from the game. They might not identify with the character as much as they cannot make decisions with them and have no influence over what they do. “People are more likely to behave aggressively themselves when they identify with a violent character.” (Konijn, Bijvank, Bushman, 2007).
Video games reward violent behavior. By giving points for killing a character in the game or being able to progress to the next level. They also give affirmations and praise verbally. Positive feedback encourages this behavior and normalizes it. In tv programs the feedback is not directed at the viewer, but at the character. A study by Olbero, van Aken, and de Castro in 2008 looked into the different effects of watching violent behavior or playing a violent video game. This study showed that that merely watching the violence had less impact on the aggressive behavior of the children in the study than playing a violent video game did.
In 2015, an APA (American psychological association) task force reviewed more than one hundred studies on the topic of violent or aggressive behavior induced by playing violent video games. This task force concluded that playing violent video games can increase aggressive behavior and thoughts, while lessening empathy and sensitivity towards aggression. Their mention that while there is no single factior that can drive someone toward violence or aggression, playing violent video games could be classified as a risk factor. The APA also published a policy statement in August 2015, in which it states that research demonstrated a link between violent video game use and both increases in aggressive behavior and decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy, and moral engagement.
Another relation between violence and video games could bet hat when the player does not succeed in the game, they feel more aggressive. To see if this was a possible relation researchers from the university of Rochester conducted a study with the goal of finding ties between the amount of aggression and the degree the games impeded the psychological need for competence. They found that it was not the violent imagery or story of the games that influenced the aggressive behavior of the players, but whether the players were able to master the game, and how difficult the game was. “Any player who has thrown down a remote control after losing an electronic game can relate to the intense feelings or anger failure can cause,” (Przybylski, 2014). This behavior is not only related to playing video games. We recognise this behavior in other competitive fields as well. Especially is sports.
Aggression is a negative side effect of the frustration felt while playing the video game. Not succeeding in mastering a game can be a blow to the player’s ego, this can cause the player to be hostile and mean to others.” (Ryan, 2014).
Less aggressive crimes
There are however some studies that contradict this view on the relationship between violent video games and violent behavior. Grant theft auto V is one of the violent games currently on the market. It is very popular; “It was rated 8/10 or higher by 82% of its players across the UK, US, Germany, and France and 10/10 by 40% of its players, beating off all the competition across the sector. The franchise is also the fifth most played for all gamers and the most popular title among male gamers, with 42% having played it in the last six months.” (Osborn, 2017). However, in the months that followed after the release of the game, crime levels did not increase. The homicide rates and aggravated assault rates tended to drop in the United States. The research mentioned that it might be possible that people playing violent video games might experience aggression-reducing characteristics. Another explanation could bet hat people seeking out aggressive and criminal behavior might fill their needs with playing an aggressive game. The researchers behind the study do mention that the explanations for this correlation between a decrease in violent behavior and playing violent video games are complicated.
GTA V comes to life
In New Hyde Park, New York, on June 26, 2008, a group of teenagers went on a two-hour crime spree. First, three of them violently mugged a man in a grocery store parking lot. After that, the gang went through the streets of New Hyde Park until they came across a woman in her car. After stealing a pack of cigarettes from the woman, they proceeded to smash a van using one of the baseball bats they had brought to the crime scene. This all started at 11:30 in the evening. Four teenagers; Brandon Cruz (15), Gurnoor Singh (14), Samuel Philip (16), and Jaspreet Singh (17) we sitting around in the park, looking for something to do. They decided to play out a game; Grant theft Auto V. In this game, Belic, an Eastern European criminal uses murder and robbery to rise to the top of the underworld of Liberty City, which closely resembles New York City. When asked fora n explenation the group said that they were bored and this seemed like a good idea.
Here we see that the group of teenagers identified strongly with the main character of the game, Belic. They tried to be like him and committed the same sort of crimes. This may contradict the previous statement, where there was said to be a relation between the release of Grand theft Auto V and a decrease of violent crime, but in this instance there is a clear relationship between the game and the violent behavior displayed by the group of teenagers.
To conclude; violent video games and violent behavior in adolescents are related toe ach other. The players of the game identify with the main character of the game and this causes them to normalize this behavior. the rewards obtained when displaying violent behavior in the game in order to succeed motivate the player to continue with this behavior in the game. When they do not succeed in the game and do not obtain the rewards this can be very frustrating for the player. This often results in hostile behavior and being mean to others. While there is a link between some violent video games and a decrease in violent crimes, there are also instances like the one in New Hyde Park, New York, where there is in fact a clear relation between violent and aggressive behavior, and adolescents playing violent video games.