Vaughn 1

Nic Vaughn Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 Nov 2, 2013

Second Draft: Are Violent Video Games A Plague of Aggression?

In the U the e!!ect that violent vi"eo games have on the behaviors o! #i"s, teens an" $oung a"ults has been up !or "iscussion an" come about in man$ hea"lines% &his has become a big "eal because the ma'orit$ o! $oung people to"a$ pla$ man$ o! these graphic vi"eo games an" shoul" be more a(are o! the in!luence, i! an$, that the$ ma$ encounter% )ver the $ears, man$ *uestions have come up about this+ such as that violent vi"eo games "irectl$ lin#e" to man$ crimes cause" b$ the teenager (ho been #no(n to pla$ violent vi"eo games, li#e in the case o! the Ne(to(n, Connecticut shootings also other "ebates on (hether violent vi"eo games actuall$ cause their pla$ers to have an increase in aggressive behavior or thin#ing patterns+ shoul" there be more restrictions on the bu$ing o! violent vi"eo games+ an" i! it reall$ is the vi"eo games themselves that are the problem,

)ne o! the most hotl$ "ebate" *uestions is (hether graphic vi"eo games have been #no(n to cause an increase in aggression% I m$sel! am an avi" vi"eo game pla$er an" have not notice" an$ changes o! m$ overall behavior% I-m 'ust m$ overall mello( eas$ going sel! an" ever$one (ho #no(s (ith me can agree% ./eah, Nic is a reall$ chill gu$% 0e never reall$ gets angr$ or shouts% It-s great,1 sa$s m$ !rien", 2le3 4ro(n% &hough I haven-t notice" an$ changes

Vaughn 2

in m$sel!, I can see some truth to the e!!ect o! a raise in aggression (hile pla$ing graphic vi"eo games% 5or instance, (hile pla$ing the games (ith brother an" I beat him or something happens an" "oesn-t *uite go his (a$ he becomes a bit agitate" an" grunts out o! anger or sometimes beats his controller% 6hile arguments can be ma"e that m$ brother is 'ust an overall all brat an" spoil sport, behavioral stu"ies have sho(n that a lot o! these violent vi"eo games can ma#e the pla$ers have an increase in aggressive attitu"es: 7&here is a causal lin# bet(een pla$ing the !irst8person shooting games in our e3periment an" brain8activit$ patterns that are consi"ere" as characteristics !or aggressive cognitions an" a!!ects% &here is a neurological lin# an" there is a short8term causal relationship7 9ene 6eber, 2ssistant :ro!essor at M U, states in her article% It has also been anal$;e" that e3posure to violent vi"eo games increases ph$siological arousal an" aggression8relate" thoughts an" !eelings in the pla$ers an" that the pla$ing o! violent vi"eo games also "ecrease pro8social behavior% <E!!ects o! Violent Vi"eo =ames on 2ggressive 4ehavior, 2ggressive Cognition, 2ggressive 2!!ect, :h$siological 2rousal, an" :rosocial 4ehavior: 2 Meta82nal$tic 9evie( o! the cienti!ic >iterature, 2rticle b$ Craig 2% 2n"erson an" 4ra" ?% 4ushman@

2nother topic that has been "ebate" is (hether or not the e3cess availabilit$ o! vi"eo games has le" to an epi"emic o! violent behaviors seen in $outh% &hough vi"eogames is primaril$ targete" to the $ounger generation, vi"eogames are not a main cause o! violent behaviors% 2 :ro!essor at MI&, 0enr$ ?en#ins (rites in his article that the i"ea o! this being an epi"emic is overl$ !antasi;e", the !act is that accor"ing to the 5e"eral Crime tatistics, the rate o! $oung violence in the Unite" tates is at an all8time 30 $ear lo(% &he !act that vi"eo games are to

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blame is highl$ unli#el$% &hough ma'orit$ o! $oung people (ho have committe" crimes have been #no(n to be avi" vi"eo game pla$ers, over ninet$ percent o! all bo$s an" !ort$ percent o! all girls in the Unite" tates are more li#el$ to be vi"eogame pla$ers% ?en#ins goes on to (rite ho( in 2001 the U 2ttorne$ =eneral reporte" that the strongest ris# !actors !or $oung violence in such cases li#e school shooting is more centere" on mental stabilit$ an" the *ualit$ o! home li!e% ?en#ins also continues to state ho( the moral panic over violent vi"eogames has been causing more harm to #i"s (ith !actors such as these .It has le" a"ult authorities to be more suspicious an" hostile too man$ #i"s (ho alrea"$ !eel cut o!! !rom the s$stem% It also mis"irects energ$ a(a$ !rom eliminating the actual causes o! $outh violence an" allo(s problems to continue to !ester%1 &his brings up the *uestions on (hether the (hole vi"eogame violence thing is even real, 'ust something that "ue to o! the populace-s !ear o! it reall$ being a problem is actuall$ causing the violent actions that (e hear about%

9ecent stu"ies an" arguments have also suggeste" that graphic vi"eo games cause pla$ers to e3perience events !rom slight changes in moo" to overall encouragement to #ill other !ello( citi;ens aroun" them% &he N92 has state" that in the case o! the Ne(to(n, C& shooting (as in!luence" b$ over e3posure an" encouragement !rom graphic vi"eo games% <Cormac 5oster, Ao Violent Vi"eo =ames 9eall$ Cause Violent 4ehavior, (((%rea"(rite%com@ &hough this event is trul$ a trage"$, the N92-s statement is un'ust "ue to the !act that there is no current scienti!ic evi"ence that vi"eo games are lin#e" or even the cause o! real li!e violence% &he N92 has ma"e it almost a goal to shoot "o(n *uestions o! guns that become issues "ue to these crimes, instea" the$ tr$ an" pin the violence o! vi"eo games as the main reason (h$ such crimes are committe" in the Unite" tates%

Vaughn B

In man$ o! the cases that are brought to *uestion, li#e in the case o! Ne(to(n, Connecticut shooting, the perpetrators ha" been #no(n to pla$ man$ violent vi"eogames having to "o (ith (ar to robbing an" mur"ering civilians% &here ma$ be some truth to then some o! the N92-s accusation o! vi"eogames inspiring this violence% 0enr$ ?en#ins, a :ro!essor at MI&, intervie(e" Aavi" =rossman, a !ormer Militar$ :s$chologist an" moral re!ormer, about the i"ea o! vi"eo games un#no(ingl$ train our $oung generation to #ill% Aavi" =rossman gives in!ormation about ho( the militar$ is currentl$ using vi"eogames in certain curriculums to train sol"iers .&he militar$ uses games as part o! a speci!ic curriculum, (ith clearl$ "e!ine" goals, in a conte3t (here stu"ents activel$ (ant to learn an" have a nee" !or the in!ormation being transmitte"% &here are conse*uences !or not mastering those s#ills% &hat being sai", a gro(ing bo"$ o! research "oes suggest that games can enhance learning%1<0enr$ ?en#ins@ In 0enr$-s article =rossman goes on to claim that the generation o! $oung people (ho pla$ such games, li#e the militar$ uses to train sol"iers .shoot an" #ill,1 are similarl$ being brutali;e" an" con"itione" to be aggressive in their ever$"a$ social interactions% Upon !urther investigation an" researching I have !oun" man$ people (ho have !oun" evi"ence that argue against the N92-s statements an" biase" opinions o! the crimes% Eri# 0ue$ the senior vice presi"ent, government a!!airs, o! the Entertainment o!t(are 2ssociation states in his article .vi"eo games represent an CD0 billion (orl"(i"e in"ustr$% 4ut violent crime has "ecline" "ramaticall$ as the games have gaine" popularit$% I! games cause" violent behavior, ho( coul" the crime rates go "o(n (hile game sales (ent through the roo!,1 <Vi"eo =ames Aon-t Cause Violence, 2rticle b$ Eri# 0ue$, (((%s!gate%com@ Eric 0ue$ ma#es man$ vali" points in his article (ith the research he has "one, he later goes on to sho( ho( the international sales an" crime "ata in countries that consume more vi"eo games per capita than in the Unite"

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states have ha" !ar lo(er instances o! gun8relate" crime% 4eing there is no scienti!ic ba#ing lin#ing violent vi"eo games to the crimes themselves it seems that some people are tr$ing to !in" something to point their !ingers at something to !in" an ans(er%

&hough vi"eo games cause an in!lu3 o! aggression in their pla$ers it is unsure (h$ man$ unspea#able crimes are committe" ever$ $ear, but I believe it is not the vi"eo games themselves that alone cause the violence this is a "ebate (ell (orth loo#ing !urther into an" (atch gro(ing to see (here the !uture o! vi"eo games (ill lea"% I !or one hope that (e !in" a reason other than vi"eo games, other(ise I ma$ nee" to !in" m$sel! a ne( hobb$%

Vaughn F

6or#s Cite" Eri# 0ue$, Vi"eo =ames Aon-t Cause Violence, (((%s!gate%com, (eb% Cormac 5oster, Ao Violent Vi"eo =ames 9eall$ Cause Violent 4ehavior, (((%rea"(rite%com, (eb% E!!ects o! Violent Vi"eo =ames on 2ggressive 4ehavior, 2ggressive Cognition, 2ggressive 2!!ect, :h$siological 2rousal, an" :rosocial 4ehavior: 2 Meta82nal$tic 9evie( o! the cienti!ic >iterature, 2rticle b$ Craig 2% 2n"erson an" 4ra" ?% 4ushman, pss%sagepub%com, (eb% 9ene 6eber, 2ssistant :ro!essor at M U, 2rticle b$ 2le3 Aut$, Ao Violent Vi"eo =ames 9eall$ Cause 2ggressive 4ehavior, voices%$ahoo%com, (eb% 0enr$ ?en#ins, :ro!essor at MI&, 9ealit$ 4$tes: Eight M$ths 2bout Vi"eo =ames Aebun#e", (((%pbs%org, (eb%