Violent video games and mass violence: A complex link

It gives us a sense of control over things we can't control."

Were violent video games to blame for the Newtown tragedies where 20 children and six teachers
were killed by a lone gunman, Adam Lanza?
Law enforcement reportedly discovered a "trove" of violent video games from the shooter's
basement, according to Orr, where the 20-year-old spent hours alone, playing with windows blacked
out, honing his computer shooting skills. However, his long manifesto contained even more
information on the Byzantine Empire and Muslim expansion, so why not ban history books too,
Ferguson wondered.
Ferguson, who presented for Biden's task force in January, said many people understand at this
point that most people who play violent video games won't become violent themselves and that there
is a mental health component at play. Tests showed those who played violent games like "Killzone"
and "Grand Theft Auto" behaved more aggressively than those who played nonviolent games. In
January, Vice President Joe Biden met with video game makers and other groups, including the
broadcast and film industry and mental health experts, to come up with broader ideas to reduce gun
violence.
"We can't find any evidence that those kids are affected either," Ferguson told CBSNews.com,
referring to children with mental health problems.
The latest revelations may contribute to ongoing debate over whether video games play a role in
mass violence.. "You sometimes see that in a period of moral panic ... The industry voluntarily rates
games for violence and mature content. So... if you want to have an individual free copy then you
have to be able to visit open hack. The idea is actually limited occasion offer. so it might be good in
the big event you act fast and obtain it today.At the time, lead researcher Dr. in a whole stew of
reasons why someone might do that. Lanza also visited gun ranges multiple times with his mother,
Nancy.
Ferguson argues that youth violence has been at a 40-year low, while violent video games remain
popular. For example, the 32-year-old Breivik also claimed to be a fan of violent video games such as
"Call of Duty," and "World of Warcraft" and said he honed his shooting skills with the games. All
Rights Reserved. Christopher Ferguson, department chair of psychology and communications at
Texas A&M International University in Laredo, says he has not come across any link between
playing violent video games and likelihood for violent behavior.
"I believe that there is a real reliable link between exposure to violent video games and aggression
in the short-term," Bartholow told CBSNews.com Monday. "It might have been one ingredient ...
However, his studies, which have looked at people with mental health issues, including those prone
to bullying violence, have found no added risk.
However, he disputes that his study and others like his don't have relevance outside the laboratory.
However, aggression itself is very complex, he says, it would be an oversimplification to say video
games could lead to behavior like a violent mass killing. That's different from after Columbine, he
said, when many questions were raised about video games as motivations for violence. He concedes
the effect is probably short-lived, and more research is needed to be done to see how the effects can

accumulate over time.

"Unfortunately I don't think the explanation is very simple," he said. He says there is evidence that
suggests they may predict real-world behavior. Bruce Bartholow, associate professor of psychology
at the University of Missouri, told CBSNews.com that a single exposure to violent video games
would not lead to violence, but this desensitization can occur over time.
"What's interesting is how eager some segments of society are to grab onto this narrative of violence
in video games, just like it was comic books in the 1950s," said Ferguson. In theory, it could be one
factor -- but I wouldn't say it's the csi hidden crimes only factor or the most important factor."
2013 CBS Interactive Inc. He reports that Lanza targeted nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School
during the December shooting because it was the "easiest target" with the "largest cluster of
people."

Dr.
Following the tragedies, Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, said that, besides
putting armed guards in every schools, the country should look closer at "vicious, violent video
games," singling out titles like "Bulletstorm," "Grand Theft Auto," "Mortal Kombat" and
"Splatterhouse"
CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports that Adam Lanza was motivated by violent video games
and a strong desire to top Norwegian mass shooter Anders Breivik's toll of 77 deaths during his July
2011 massacre, citing law enforcement sources.

Even if Lanza did play these violent video games, he said, it's "nonsense" to think that a tragedy
could have been prevented by removing them from the equation. Ralph Nader went as far as calling
makers of violent video games "electronic child molesters."
Other experts argue there may be a link, but its extent is unknown.
He concedes many scholars who disagree with him are researching in good faith, but he wonders if

spending national attention and money on these issue is worthwhile.

"A 70-year-old does it and nobody talks [video games]," he said.
A July 2011 study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology that looked at 70 young adults
found playing violent games may desensitize players to violent imagery in the short-term. He finds it
interesting how in the wake of Sandy Hook, video games have gotten a lot of blame, but when highprofile shootings involve older adults -- like 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes, who shot a bus driver then
kidnapped a 5-year-old and kept him in a bunker for days, or 62-year-old William Spengler, who
allegedly shot and killed two first responders and injured two more firefighters in December after
strangling his sister -- people don't look for similar sources to blame.
Some lawmakers have also called for restrictions on violent video games, but CBS News
correspondent Chip Reid reported in January that in 2011 the Supreme Court struck down a
California statute banning the sale of violent video games for people under 18, saying the games
were protected under the First Amendment