Wow, it's amazing what they'll waste money researching. But at least we have one more study to throw at people who think games cause violence.

I like studies that make it difficult for individuals to ignore the obvious solutions. I mean how many of the people here really needed to see this study before they were convinced that a dysfunctional family life generally can produce a high risk environment for children now and in the future.

Video games are art to the developers and entertainment to the consumers. But really when you think about it one of the main purposes of art is entertainment to some degree so it is probably art to many consumers and they just don't realize it. Either way its obviously protected by the first amendment in terms of creation and consumption. Anti-game buffs will never take that fact into account and they are always willing to distort the truth to enforce some kind of moral value they perceive as superior. These people do not wish to live in a free society. They wish to belong to a society based on theology and ideology where everyone is forced to do what they believe is correct.

Parents, teachers, school environment, home environment, peers, and any other authority figures I forgot will all have a huge impact on a child's development. If a kid goes to school and is continuously given a hard time from peers, teachers and authority figures in a school environment then obviously they are going to grow to hate school and the people they are around. Is it there fault? Not until they inflict harm on anyone but the point remains that that kind of experience has to be held accountable before any progress is made.

And yet, will anyone pay any attention to this? No. Will Thompsons rantings and discredited studies have attention lavished on them? Yes. Will this change anything? Shit no.

they've taken their time but I am so happy now that it's been proved! Now they can not blame games such as GTA for car theft or Manhunt for violent murders.

The article is available for purchase here: http://cjb.sagepub.com/current.dtl

The title of the study is: "Violent Video Games and Aggression: Causal Relationship or Byproduct of Family Violence and Intrinsic Violence Motivation?"

GP, any chance of you getting a copy and posting some more information on it?

The abstract is free: http://cjb.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/3/311

I wonder if anyones told Jack about these studies yet.

You make it sound like it's an open and shut case now that they've pointed this out. Do any of you actually think anyone will change their mind based on this report? Please, people don't let go of what they "know" just because a study says it's true. I mean, back cefore video games someone reading this study would just nod, say it goes with out sayin' or "the apple don't fall far from the tree."

It's much more PC now-a-days to blame vidja-games rather then how someone was raised. After all, people like to think it "doesn't matter where you come from, you can do anything with your life!" However, somehow that free will flies right out the window if you've played GTA. Then you are a souless killing machine with no will of your own, only the voice of Zelnick whispering in your ears.

Sadly Mogbert, I agree. This study won't be cited where it's inconvenient

Insert "no duh" here. The sad thing is that these studies are necessary in order to once again tell the public that the environment in which a child is raised, specifically his family and friends, is the most important factor in determining his future, from religious beliefs to his tendency to be violent.

"Games Don’t Spark Violence but Dysfunctional Families Do"

NO FUCKING WAY!!!1!

Wasn't there another study like this that said the same thing? I read this and got this feeling of deja vu. Well, part of that is the fact that this is COMMON SENSE, but I still think there was another such study.

Sadly, I think there are other factors that also encourage violence. Family background, race, region, education (or lack thereof), drugs, and probably a dozen other such factors that I'm missing. Forgive me, I just woke up.

@ mogbert

First of all. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 comes out today! YAY!!
Sorry, but the "mog" part of your name makes me think FF.

Second, I hate to say it, but you are correct, sir. None of those so called family values groups or video game critics will give two shits about this report. They'll dismiss it as one "faulty" report. They have a "bajillion really, really extra super duper accurate reports that show that this is no more than video game propaganda." Sad, isn't it?

The truth is that how each person acts is such a complex formula, no one can really predict what they will choose to do from one moment to the next. After someone has done something, whether it was shoot a person or help a stranger change a tire, they can't go back and really say what caused them to do it. Anyone who tries to simplify what made someone the way they are now down to one influence is not dealing from a full deck.

@ Gameboy, I don't have a PSP. I'll have to console myself watching Advent Children over and over... :-(
(and playing SSBB!)

The Mog in my name is from FF, mixed with Dogbert. Unfortunately, I'm one of about 200 people who made this same connection, so I rarely get my first choice of names. Horay for GP and our ability to get names without competition!

I know activist would avoid this stuff, but this helps by lowing the number of new future activists.

FINALLY!!!

REAL RESEARCH done within the realms of REAL PEOPLE within their REAL ENVIRONMENT!!!!

People who prefer to play violent videogames are no more aggressive then those who prefer to play non violent games...

COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT GAMES AND THEIR EMOTIONAL LEVEL!!!!

Also they combated other issues like Family Violence and also past criminal behavior. ALL OF THESE ARE STRONGER SOCIETY LINKS TO REAL VIOLENCE more than just the violence in videogames.

Reality is that no one can blame Videogames for the actions of an individual in real life.

[...] Someone at gamepolitics.com mentioned getting a copy of the paper, but I think the publishers would want monetary compensation. Now that’s a big problem where journalists can’t get their hands on first-hand scientific information, but that’s another story. But I’m an undergrad with access… [...]

Hey - but they told us in the 70's that it was Pen and Paper D&D and TV that caused violence.

In the 50's and 60's is was music and pot.

Before that - it was TV in general and radio. And prior to that - well, it was a necessary part of just staying alive.

Let's find something else to blame for everything. Isn't it so fun?

Now it's going to be "the family" that causes violence. And they should be outlawed.

The fact is, we're not any different. We praise studies that support out point of view and tear apart any that oppose us.

Something interesting to note is that study suggest that, far from a causal relationship, there's not even a real correlation between aggressive behavior and violent video games.

THIS JUST IN! DEATH CAUSED BY DYING!

"Games Don’t Spark Violence but Dysfunctional Families Do"

My mind! She is blown! D:

A sudden break of common sense. Imagine that.....

@Dark Sovereign, both studies (the meta-study and this one) was done by the same man, Christopher J. Ferguson (with a team of others).

People say that out frontal brain lobes are fried because of videogames. It is like saying that we are handicapped. Now there is proof that we arent. Someone please show this to Hillary Clinton! Wait I dont think we really have to. Shes already in last place in the campain. She has 30% and Obama and John Mcain have like 60% or 70%. Or even more!

NO. FREAKING. WAY.

Nobody could have ever guessed such a thing

On a more serious note, if people really have such a problem with violent gaming, why not ask the industry to make more games like portal, where you can never actually shoot at anything, but it's still awesome.

Oh wait. Antigamers dont pay attention to games like that. It would tear their arguments apart. Because to them, the only games in existence are pong, pacman, Mario, Custer's Revenge, GTA, Bully, and Manhunt.

@Conejo

not with bullets

@ StealthKnight

Holy crap! That's horrible. You should of complained to the dean or someone.

Gotta hate teachers that have some asinine rule about grading. I heard of one that refused to give students As. Another that only gave one A two B's, and everyone else got Cs or lower. I've always felt that if none or few of the students can earn an A in your class, you just fail as a teacher.

I think you'll find that most of the anti-game crowd is like that. You can give them a plenty of information and they ignore it. I've experienced it a few times.

This is great to see, and accolades for the people who actually utilize scientific method, thus making our case easier--since none of our foes have even attempted real science in support of their views.

Unfortunately, that very fact is a huge part of the problem. The anti-gamers have no evidence, nothing more than a desire to create something to blame for incomprehensible evils and something to throw money at so constituents feel their children are being kept safe even though the kids don't have good schools, any health care, or protection from real-world violence. So they ignore our arguments because they don't CARE what reality says, this is what they believe and so it must be true.

Why are human minds designed to accept only evidence cementing our preconceptions and ignore all else, even if our beliefs are thoroughly and blatantly wrong?

Sort of on-topic, just wondering if anybody's read this guy's experience yet?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_142/3052-The-...

People have always been resistant to science, there's a long history of it which can be proven, rather ironically, by the science of statistics. Many people fear what they don't understand and of those, few make the effort to try and understand.

Especially in the cases where there was no prior history of direct violence, people usually look for a single causal factor which occured just before the incident and since little johnny never shot up his school with an AK74 before he got a wii, it must be the fault of the wii...

@Gameboy
Gotta hate teachers that have some asinine rule about grading. I heard of one that refused to give students As. Another that only gave one A two B’s, and everyone else got Cs or lower.

I had something similar last year in an assignment for project management, we had to make a gantt chart and the question specifically said "Do not include durations or dependencies" and then I got marked down for not including them. I asked for a review, the marker agreed that it was an error and then returned the assignment with an identical mark. I was going to complain but frankly I didn't give a fuck by then.

Finally, the media and politicians will leave forever more cease to use video games as a scapegoat! Also, if some diety is granting miracles, I'd love another chance at having two arms...

Karsten -

I agree that economic standing will effect behavior. Its simple survival sometimes. Don't have enough money for food and shelter? Maybe breaking a couple of laws will be profitable enough to provide you with that. Of course you can say that it is a problem with the people committing the crimes, and in terms of violent crimes I'll gladly agree. But non-violent criminals that break laws for survival might very reflect a problem in society rather than the individual. I strongly believe there are other parties to blame than non-violent criminals because if you think about it crime is whatever the government decides is illegal. What if what they say is illegal really isn't that bad or the government is being dishonest about facts that surround any particular illegal instance. I think it all can chalked up to bad design or good design that has been bastardized.

Common Sense prevails for once, thank God.

@ Elalonna

Why would they only proves them wrong.

Personally I'm getting to the point where people blow millions of bucks on useless studies that if you went to a public high school for 30 minutes you'd go "Hot damn idiot was right" instead of blowing a couple 100,000.
Anyways I want to set up some sort of "Research Group" thats given grants by the US Congress to research things like "Why are [insert question that has a common sense answer]?" Completely blow the grant on just bs stuff, then come back and give them the common sense answer.

I think it would work, Congress has blown several million on stupid grants (such as and this is my favorite one: 'Why do kids listed to rock and/or roll") Who's with me?

well... now........................... i can't believe it! all this time! i thought i was gonna be a murderer because of game playing. HAHAH! about time! good work, Texas. seems the crazy southerners finally found a bit of sense. and wisconsin isn't cheesy at all!