Video games and child aggression

Can video games make kids more aggressive?

Supernanny Jo Frost wasn’t impressed when she discovered that Holly and Jimmy Tafoya’s two older sons were regularly sneaking over to a buddy’s house to play violent video games rated as suitable for a mature audience. But can they really make kids more aggressive?

Research has thrown up mixed results. Exposure to TV and new technology has resulted in a generation of media-savvy kids who tend to learn best from what they see rather than what they read or do. And some video games are a great visual teacher when it comes to aggression and hostility. Trouble is that where parents might want their children to learn how to problem solve using co-operation and compromise, violent video games tend to teach the kind of problem-solving skills that involve the use of weapons of mass destruction and much spilling of virtual blood – and that violence is ultimately rewarded because it helps win the game.

New research from Iowa State University suggests that the amount of violence in the games kids play can predict increased aggression. Among elementary age children, those kids who played violent video games increased their risk of aggressive behavior by 263% compared to children who played non-violent games. This seems to back up earlier research where brain MRIs showed that children who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal – and decreased activity in the areas of the brain linked with self-control.

That said, our kids themselves are factors. Some have a poor understanding of the difference between fantasy and reality and younger kids especially have an immature sense of impulse control. It’s also a fact that violence has long existed outside of video games – traditional fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood have a violent subtext; and who among us didn’t have nightmares about the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? The level of violence in some kids’ classic toons has to be seen to be believed, and most of us have used sticks as swords, guns and lightsabers. However it is true that kids may just find it easier to see Jerry whacking Tom in the face with a broom as the carton violence it is – whereas the virtual imagery of video and computer games can be frighteningly realistic and gory.

Kids like playing video games because they’re fun – and appropriate games can give them a sense of control, release tension, and teach them computer skills that could help them in years to come. The key to ensuring your child benefits from them is to lay some ground rules… see Supernanny’s video games technique for advice.

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