To What Extent Do Video Games Do Not Cause Violence In Our Society

Unit 2
2.4 Reflection

What is your opinion? What role does media--television, movies, video games, and/or music play in violence in our society? What facts, studies, or expert opinions support your position?

Video Games Do Not Cause Violence

Although I am a supporter of gun laws for the safety of our country, I do not believe that guns shoot people. I believe that people shoot people. Similarly, I do not believe that video games cause people to act out violently. There is a general belief that video games alone can directly cause outward acts of violence. I disagree with this line of thought. Specifically, I believe that there is perceived, but not substantiated causative role between between violent video games and violent

Romeo Vitelli, Ph.D., a psychologist in private practice in Toronto, Canada, cites “A new research study published in the journal Psychology of Media Culture takes a comprehensive look at different risk factors of violence, including playing video games. Whitney de Camp of Western Michigan University used data taken from the 2008 Delaware School Survey to assess violence risk in 6567 Grade Eight children. Students were asked about violent and pre-violent behaviour, i.e., “hit someone with the intention of hurting them,” “take some kind of weapon to school or to a school event,” and “carry a gun when you’re not in school.” “According to the study results, playing violent video games didn 't appear to be related to any of the violent behaviours that the researchers examined. For both males and females, the two factors most successful in predicting risk of hitting someone in the previous year were seeing or hearing violence at home and being high in sensation-seeking.” “Overall, this research showed that the presumed danger of violent video game playing was largely exaggerated, at least in the eighth-graders looked at in this study. Other factors such as seeing or hearing violence at home, sensation seeking, and low parental monitoring or attachment were far more likely to predict violence in adolescents.” According to ProCon.org in the article, Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?, the U.S. Surgeon General’s list of risk factors for youth violence include abusive parents, poverty, neglect, neighborhood crime, being male, substance abuse and mental health problems, but not video