Study finds that violent video games may be linked to aggressive behaviour

This article was written by John von Radowitz for The Independent

The general point of the article is that video games are linked to an increase in 'aggression'.

However the article does make the distinction that there isn't enough evidence to suggest that video games cause an increase in crime.

The article claims that numerous studies have culminated in the assessment of violent video games as a 'risk factor' for increased aggression.

The article implies that while games such as GTA V and Call of Duty have not been proven to influence people to commit crimes in real life, that they do cause an increase in aggression.

Call of Duty would not seem to indicate this as while the game involves fighting in a war zone they there has always been an option to skip the more gratuitous scenes In addition to a content filter. allowing players to choose the experience they prefer and not be forced to engaging in gratuitous violence.

This is an image showing the content filter, acknowledging the need for a toned down experience from the developers.

A report that is cited in the article states:
"The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behaviour, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in pro-social behaviour, empathy and sensitivity to aggression."

However, The quantity of Co-operative games and game modes would seem to against the idea of a decrease in pro social behaviour.

Game series such as Battlefield, a first person shooter with an emphasis on realism, operates on the principals of communication and teamwork. This is best illustrated in how certain vehicles have no way of firing at enemy players unless you have additional players to use the vehicles weapons. even the class system helps emphasise that this game is focused on social interaction as one player can't accomplish everything by themselves. This screenshot showcases a scoreboard for the largest game mode in the series, which has 32 people on each team fighting to capture objectives.

Furthermore the article details that the overall report claims that no singular risk factor is enough to cause people to act out violently and aggressively, instead it points to an "accumulation of risk factors" as the cause.

One incident that backs up this view is the Columbine high school massacre. Blame from the mainstream media was placed on the video game Doom, which the two killers played regularly, however this failed to take into account the other 'risk factors' involved, such as their mental condition, medication and potential torment suffered through bullying.