U.S. Secret Service Destroys Violent Video Games Myth

Games aren't going to make you want to shoot anyone more than you already want to.

Posted by Staff
U.S. Secret Service Destroys Violent Video Games Myth
Computer games are slowly getting their due as not being mindless killing simulators, thanks to various studies that have been published over the last few years. Now a new study has shown that violent video games is the least likely medium to incite aggression in schoolkids.

A joint-study between the U.S. Department of Education and the Secret Service found that only 12 per cent of those involved school shootings were "attracted to violent video games", compared to 27 per cent of those attracted to violent films and 24 per cent attracted to violent books.

"And even then, there is no proven link that the movies, books and video games are what inspired the student behave violently," writes Erin Ashe of Teen Life.

"If those stats aren’t enough, results from a Swinburn University of Technology experiment suggested that only children and teens who were already inclined to neurotic behavior or already aggressive show a tendency towards violent acts post-video gaming."

So there you go. You're only going to be violent towards someone if you're mentally designed to do so, with or without computer games. Of all establishments, the U.S. Secret Service is probably the coolest one to discover this finding.

Comments

SPInGSPOnG 17 Mar 2010 01:48
1/2
SPOnG wrote:
Of all establishments, the U.S. Secret Service is probably the coolest one to discover this finding.

They are certainly the one with the most first-hand experience of committing violent acts.
Dave 17 Mar 2010 22:12
2/2
Can't "violent" video games also be a good thing for those with violent aggressions it gives them a medium to release their anger.
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