[Ideational Ontarian]

February 28, 2007 - In a recent issue of the American Sociological Association's Context magazine, sociologist Karen Sternheimer put some heavy doubt into the theories that videogame violence directly result in real-world violence. Sternheimer claims that there is no such correlation, and that the reality might be exactly the opposite.

Sternheimer cited as evidence of this trend the fact that as annual sales of videogames and accessories has risen to over $10 billion, juvenile homicide arrests have fallen 77%. According to Sternheimer, students now have a chance of less than 7 in 10 million of being killed by school-related violence.

In a very frank and forthright manner, Sternheimer stated, "If we want to understand why young people become homicidal, we need to look beyond the games they play."

Like many have argued before her, Sterheimer contends that videogame violence has been used as a straw man argument. Rather than paying attention to more pertinent issues that might nurture violence -- such as poverty, instability, domestic abuse, unemployment, and mental illness -- reactionaries have been directing their ire at the games industry, effectively exonerating these other factors of their impact.

"It is equally likely that more aggressive people seek out violent entertainment," Sternheimer said. "After adult rampage shootings in the workplace, which happen more often than school shootings, reporters seldom mention if the shooters played video games."

Sternheimer seemed to disagree with the analytical methods of a 2001 study which found that videogames did increase aggressive behavior, stating: "They don't offer much insight as to why a few isolated kids, and not the millions of others who play these games, decided to pick up real weapons and shoot real people."

While the debate is far from over, it's nice to see sociologists looking critically at the issue.

[KurtFF8]

Well one Sociologist having doubt in a theory doesn't kill it (and in this cause, that is unfortunate to a degree)

[naked_turk]

According to Sternheimer, students now have a chance of less than 7 in 10 million of being killed by school-related violence.

Wow! Those are better odds than winning the lottery!

[Xopolis]

Blaming video games and music is an easy way of avoiding actually dealing with real problems like poverty.

[MB.]

Game Violence Debate Killed

That's like saying you found a single theory which disproves Global Warming. Or that Abortions are morally correct.

[danholo]

I am evidence of a of the theory that violence in movies and video games creates violence in the real world. I've probably been in a couple of scuffles when I was a little kid but that's about it... And believe me, I've watched all the action movies and play tons of video games (where you kill monsters and humans).

I think the accusation against these forms of entertainment is bullshit.

[Boondock Saint]

Blaming video games and music is an easy way of avoiding actually dealing with real problems like poverty.

True.

Though I do find myself at odds with my own moral beliefs and my enjoyment of such video games. These games, such as GTA San Andreas, make profit by using a satirical approach to the world plight of black Americans and in somem way, I believe, glorifies it. Of course, violence and immoral behavior is not created out of a video game ...

Afterall, Bonnie and Clyde predated even the Atari. Hitler came about long before Nintendo was even a dream in someones mind ...

History is replete with violence and immoral behavior. Some of the very worst gang violence in the USA was during the late 20th century in Califorinia and the only video games available at that time were Pong and PacMan. Surely no one things that Pac Man is the reason we have had such drastic violence?

It's a strawman. You can point out the questionable ethics of video game makers who profit off of the glorification of immoral behavior but in reality, they're mirroring reality ... not the other way around.

[Citizen J]

Sternheimer cited as evidence of this trend the fact that as annual sales of videogames and accessories has risen to over $10 billion, juvenile homicide arrests have fallen 77%.

Ocham's razor. It's a simpler explanation that these kids are home playing video games 430% more often.

Thus, a 77% reduction in street violence.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Blaming video games and music is an easy way of avoiding actually dealing with real problems like poverty.

Hey, the less poor people are the less likely they can afford a gun to shootup the place.

I frankly this is a load of crap. All these tax dollars being spent on things we already know. I just want to shove my foot up thier ass when I think about how badly they screw me everytime they rob me of my hard-earned money only to say something overly obvious.

Violant people like violant things. Like I need a friggin college degree to figure that out...

There might be genetics to violance, I don't think it's just your family/culture.

But who cares? Really... there's no need to study on it, some people are just assholes. Deal with them and moveon.

[soron]

Before blaming video games I would rather point my finger at the politicians who're first to demonize video games they never played - yet who are the ones who reduce the budgets for hiring more teachers or school psychologists.
I'd also blame the media first who give amuck running assholes a platform for their idiocy.

How many of those kids are really committing crimes *because* of video games ? Is anybody here seriously thinking that real life violence is triggered by failing to reach lvl 70 or loosing against the boss mob ?
What video games might do is to provide the choreography for some events. But that doesn't equal "causing violence".

A couple of years ago there was this tv series "renegade" starring Lorenzo Lamas as a former marine, outcast, good guy, motorbike-riding avenger. That's where I saw it first: His trademark "hold your pistol horizontal" which is bogus if you actually want to hit anything further away than spitting range. I never saw anyone at the Olympics using that technique. But it looked oh so cool. And all the cool shooters copied it to show how expertly they handle their firearms.
Now, does anyone really believes that some black kid in an everyday-racism-ridden neighborhood who's holding his gun that way in a drive-by-shooting is actually using a longhaired unshaven motobike-riding redneck as a role model, imitating him ? I don't think so Tim.
That drive-by shooting would have taken place anyway and all that would have been different *might* have been details how the people involved show off while they do it.

That's the difference between causing violence and supplying the choreography for violence. So once again politicians (of course) and media (more to blame than video games) are looking for a scape goat they could blame for their own failures.

[Gintonpar]

Its all very well blaming video games for the exposure of kids to violence but I think we need to look a little closer to home. Every news channel bombards the populace with images of fear and violence 24/7.

And as we all know, fear leads to anger..anger leads to hate.

Or something like that.

Personally, I think that the constant exposure to this cycle of violence corrupts kids a lot more than playing Doom 3. But you can't really do much about it without harming the tradition of a free press. I guess the answer is better child psychologists and education etc, as well as giving young people alternatives to a life of crime and violence.

[Joda]

And as we all know, fear leads to anger..anger leads to hate

Ok yoda

Basically I think it is a bad excuse for congressmen to avoid looking at the internal problems in the US. Bad welfare, unequal eduacation and upholding bad social enheirtment lead people to crime and hate.

[volition]

Yeah I'll toss in my 2c here too, I think that some of the studies that are done on these video games that claim to link to 'aggressive behaviour' might be barking up the wrong tree so to speak.

Look at sports, especially contact ones like rugby where you're encouraged to tackle your opponent to the ground, and tell me that doesn't encourage aggression too! That said, I've got no problem with contact sports I think they help develop a healthy sense of competition and teamwork.

[JrnymnX]

Game Violence Debate Killed?

Every time a politician steps to a microphone to decry the violence caused by video games, it gets eaten up by the mass media and some of the alternative media. Whether it is a cause they believe in or not becomes irrelevant in the face of all those video cameras and tape recorders which provide free publicity for the incumbent. And let's be honest - no matter how concrete the results of Ms. Sternheimer's study, when swaying the publics perception of an issue is at stake, it will certainly fail to live up to the politicians favourite "conclusive proof" standard.

[Kylie]

Really, it's no different than blaming television for violent behavior, certain types of music with violent behavior. It's a strawman argument all right.


A similar argument that comes to mind is the Columbine shootings. People were sooooooo quick to put the blame on Marilyn Manson and his music because the kids listen to this music. Instead of blaming inanimate objects, why don't people look at the real problems.

Yes, some video games glorify violence and objectify certain groups, but the person with a healthy mind is going to realize video games are just that, video games, NOT reality. If a unhealthy person plays these games and then engages in violent behavior, they were unhealthy before they played the video game, and people need to figure out why, instead of blaming what seems to be convenient.

[vero]

Before blaming video games I would rather point my finger at the politicians who're first to demonize video games they never played

PRecisely the same problem with drugs.

A serious problem with politicians is they only have eyes for money and suffering.

I'm currently withdrawing from drugs, cannabis and alcohol, and I am both passive and compus mentus, and even enjoying my withdrawl symptoms - drugs aren't bad, they are severely demonized as you rightly say. Fair enough they were meagre doses of bullshite cocktails, but even still the worst thing I've ever done is remove the mirror from the hallway wall and to talk to the floor. Alcohol has caused far worse atrocities, such as violence or public sex. Computer games I vouche have caused me to take a shit - that's about the worst they can do, language prevails in this discussion - by discussing terrorist sizarship should anybody revere my skills at handling kitchen knives? Would that cause you to look differently at a kitchen knife? Would gaming cause only a similar psychosis as language does? Games and drugs are but small pieces of fluff in the concoction of psychotic-aids that political language is. Well, thus my opinion; games are terrible, these words are worse...

[Zyx]

I disagree with most people here.

Most of "y'all" speaking against videogames causing violence concede, or should, that videogames can relate or be linked to violence while also saying, which I agree with, is not a very significant influence. Still however it is an influence and for this reason Politicians should not be silent on the issue.

I agree that there are other aspects that politicians ignore but this does not excuse the influence of violence on the human mind.

To me, it seems, the knowledge of procedures can induce the thoughts for inventions. If violent media is allowed to bear witness to the knowledge of how to kill someone then the mind, and especially the weak willed mind, can conspire to invent a means to kill someone.

I do not think all of this should be swept under the carpet as irrelevant.

Here is an anecdote:

In college my roommate brings in a Nintendo 64 and we play Golden Eye, Wrestlemania 2000, and Diddy Kong. While Diddy Kong and Golden Eye give no influences to me in the least, since Diddy Kong are cute animals on carts shooting missiles at each other (really unrealistic) and Golden Eye is just too perfect to emulate, Wrestlemania -- whenever performing a grapple in a 1v1 closes in on the actions of each wrestler sort of guidelining how to perform these grapples in real life . . . in slow motion. Granted, looking at the smaller frame of my roommate (in a heterosexual manner mind you, ) I consider grabbing him and maybe flipping him over on his head and slamming it into the ground . . . of course I shake my head and consider, "My oh my that game is violent."

Never before had I even thought about wrestling my roommate. A friend of mine, who loves Wrestlemania, preaches to me how he wrestles with his friend, only to remind me of the little boy who killed the smaller girl performing a wrestling move off his bed.

I would not shrug my shoulder at the idea that violence in games (and other media) can influence the mind to think violently under the pretext that violence is only affixed to the poor and weak minded.

[Monkey Angst]

Anecdotally? I can see the argument that video games cause violence. I can feel violent urges increasing in myself after watching violent movies, playing violent games, etc. So extrapolating from that, it makes sense. But that's just an anecdote, it isn't evidence. Maybe there's something wrong with the way my mind works.

[Zyx]

Anecdotally? I can see the argument that video games cause violence. I can feel violent urges increasing in myself after watching violent movies, playing violent games, etc. So extrapolating from that, it makes sense. But that's just an anecdote, it isn't evidence. Maybe there's something wrong with the way my mind works.

I disagree, I think it is pretty natural that everyone consider, even barely, emulating something "cool."

Like French Kissing, or Flying.

Granted not all of us will French Kiss or try to Fly . . . but certainly being witness to these "cool"* things can influence us somewhat.

Of course do not misconstrue the notion of flying with banning the witnessing of birds . . . a hefty education will undue the effects of being influenced by "cool" stuff.

If our schools did not address violent videogames justly than violent videogames could be mass produced . . . but as it stands education does not duty itself toward this means.

*Cool here is being used as appealing to the will of emulation.

[Citizen J]

Well, how many times have we seen some kids emulating some 'cool' stunt they saw on TV? I know this is anectdotal, but it also demonstrates that this kind of thing does happen.

Second, I would like to point out the obvious; that children do not develop their general attitudes in a vaccuum. Their development is influenced by everything they experience. That experience includes everything they see, touch, feel, hear, etc.. Everything that they witness and participate in has it's influence on the attitudes they develop. (duh, but this is an important point for the making of my argument)

Third, I would like to point out that violent video games is but one influence among many that form the attitudes of children. Seeing violence on TV, among parents, among siblings, on billboards, in advertisements, hearing about it on radio, etc.. all have an influence upon the attitudes of chidren.

Therefore, it is the bombardment of our children of violence in all forms and from all sources that I would like us to reconsider. We really should be looking at all these sources and thinking about reducing the instances of violence in our overall society. A little bit here, and a little bit there will add up to some significant changes.

Or we can just keep illogically railing on a few video games while we ignore most of the other causes.