Running Head: ARE VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES HARMFUL TO CHILDREN?
Are Violent Video Games Harmful to Children and Adolescents?
Kellie A. Trent
Fort Hays State University
ARE VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES HARMFUL TO CHILDREN 2
Abstract
Violent video games are everywhere, and only increasing in numbers and popularity.
Several meta-analytic studies on the effects of playing violent video games were examined to
study the effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, sociomoral maturity, antisocial
and prosocial behavior, empathy/desensitization, aggressive effect, and aggressive cognition.
There were also studies done to determine whether these types of games aid development. The
evidence is clear that there are multiple negative effects associated with the playing of violent
video games including higher levels of aggressive behavior, raised heart rate, increased antisocial
behavior, decreased prosocial behavior, decreased empathy for others and even possible
addiction. Although these results were evident for negative effects, further studies need to be
conducted on the positive effects.
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Are Violent Video Games Harmful to Children and Adolescents?
Our children and adolescents are very important to our world. They are the future, they
are the ones who will decide the way of the world in the years to come. Parents should be doing
everything they can to ensure their children and adolescents are growing and developing in the
best way possible. The goal is to create upstanding citizens, so the future is a brighter and better
place. Video games are advertised often and in many places. Nowadays, they seem to be the
favorite pastime of children and adolescents across the globe. And they seem to be increasing in
popularity, especially those of a violent nature. Violent video games and their effects have been
studied extensively to determine whether those effects are helpful or harmful. The purpose of
this paper is to examine these scientific studies that have been conducted on violent video games
to determine whether they have a negative effect on behavior and development, or if they aid in
the developmental process.
Video games have been around for nearly 50 years. The first arcade game was released in
1971, but the public had found the game to be too difficult to play, so a simple tennis game
called Pong, was released shortly after, followed by the first at home video game in 1972, which
was wildly popular. Video games started gaining more popularity once a new game called
Wolfenstein 3D was released in 1992. This was the first violent first-person shooter game, and
even though the technology and graphics were not quite as advanced back then as they are now,
this was a very graphically violent game at the time. This game portrayed a first-person view,
which means that the player is the one who is shooting, fighting, killing, or being killed. Violent
video games have only been progressing throughout the years, and they are becoming
increasingly more graphic and violent, with progressively more bloodshed and gore. The number
of violent video games being produced has also increased, when you view the statistics of what
ARE VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES HARMFUL TO CHILDREN 4
video games are being purchased. Markey, French, and Markey (2007) found that the most
popular games being sold are those of a violent nature, with 90% of having some sort of violent
behavior. Video games also seem to be growing increasingly more popular as the years go by,
especially with boys. Video games have become such a huge market, that it is bringing in more
than 60 billion in global revenue every year. In 2003, there were more than 239 million video
games sold in the U.S. More than 90% of children and adolescents play some type of video
games. As the games become more realistic, they become more popular, and the amount of game
play time increases. Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley (2007) stated that in the 1990’s, boys were
averaging about 4 hours a week playing video games, and girls were averaging about 2 hours of
game play a week. Within just a few short years, those number jumped up to 7.1 hours a week
for boys and 4.5 hours for girls. Gentile, Lynch, Linder & Walsh (2004), reported that those
