British Labour MP Keith Vaz, long a critic of violent video games, yesterday posed a question in Parliament to Secretary of State for the Home Department Jacqui Smith.
Vaz (left) asked:
How many (a) violent attacks and (b) murders that were judged to be linked in some way to violent video games occurred in the last 10 years…
Responding on Smith’s behalf, Parliamentary Under-Secretary Vernon Coaker said:
The Home Office does not collect information on how many violent attacks and murders are judged to be linked to violent video games.
GP: While violent game play has been linked to increases in aggression, there has never been any research which linked gaming to actual violence. Vaz knows this, of course. In typical political fashion, his question is carefully phrased. “Linked in some way” could have a wide variety of meanings, including speculative linkage.
