Violent Video Games may Increase Aggressive Behaviors in Children

A recent study shows that violent video games may boost aggression in young children.

Lead study author Dogulas A. Gentile, Ph.D., of Iowa State University, Ames, notes that these findings may be particularly worrisome as they highlight aggressive behaviors in a fun and acceptable environment, which it turn, could lead some towards behavioral issues. 

For the study, 3,034 children and adolescents living in Singapore were asked to report their gaming habits over the span of three years. This included such factors as aggressive cognition, aggressive behavior and empathy. Researchers also accounted for other factors, including the sex and age of the child, as well as the level of parental monitoring.

Participants were asked to respond to six questions about aggressive behavior, such as, "When someone has angered or provoked me in some way, I have reacted by hitting that person," according to Medical Xpress. Responses were given on a scale of one to four, ranging from "strongly disagree" to strongly agree."

Findings showed that children who frequently play violent video games experienced long-term aggressive behavior through increases in aggressive cognition, despite other relating factors, including age, sex, etc.

"Because of the large number of youths and adults who play violent video games, improving our understanding of the effects is a significant research goal that has important implications for theory, public health and intervention strategies designed to reduce negative effects or to enhance potential positive effects," the researchers note, via a press release. 

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More information regarding the findings can be seen here.