Study Finds Games Are Not a Trigger For At-Risk Youth

[Psychobabble]

My problem with these studies is that they tend to stick to the flawed premise that a violent game is the sole factor in a individual committing acts of violence. None of them seem to focus on the effects of the broader spectrum of the cliques and communities surrounding these kinds of games. In the past few years we've seen news stories of game players committing acts of violence against others or themselves over video games. And judging from the numerous articles and forum posts we've seen here of late the gaming community seems to be rife with hostility towards women, towards game creators, and other gamers themselves, up to and including threats of murder. From tragic news stories this year we've seen the act of cyber-bullying can lead people to commit suicide. I don't find it much of a logical step that this kind of aggressive behavior could also potentially lead to actions of homicide.

 

[DragonStorm247]

Another study stating the obvious...

In the 40's, they used "studies" to prove comic books were the cause of THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. It's called "Seduction of the innocent", and it goes into how much of a danger reading comics is to children and how it makes them do violent acts. (along with cannibis)

You can tell any alarmist to read it if they want to have their same arguments about games replaced with comics

Funny story. A couple years back, Fredric Wertham's case files were made public, and it turns out a lot of the data in that very book was actually fraudulent.

 

[Something Amyss]

It's interesting that they had a 62% female sample, I was expecting a mostly male set or around 50%. It's also a reasonbly good sized group too. A good sign that they know what they are doing as opposed to the studies with about a dozen anecdotal accounts.

But as we all know, the anti-game trolls don't care about studies that don't suit their agenda so this probably won't mean anything to them.

Isn't it obvious? Boys won't sit still long enough!

>.>

And yeah. The critics won't care what the studies say, because they want confirmation, not investigation.

 

[nuttshell]

My problem with these studies is that they tend to stick to the flawed premise that a violent game is the sole factor in a individual committing acts of violence. None of them seem to focus on the effects of the broader spectrum of the cliques and communities surrounding these kinds of games.

While I generally agree with that, you are talking about groups of people who display behaviour which is unnacceptable in a "caring" society. A child growing up in a "Lawful/Neutral Good" society, having parents with the same notions, will not stick with these groups if it finds them. If it is also intelligent enough (which applies to children who don't grow up in a "caring" surrounding), it will also understand, that they have similarities with these people which doesn't make them the same.

...the gaming community seems to be rife with hostility towards women, towards game creators, and other gamers themselves, up to and including threats of murder. From tragic news stories this year we've seen the act of cyber-bullying can lead people to commit suicide.

You are saying that there is some gaming community. What do you mean by that? There are many people who play many different games. That's it.
If you understand suicide, you will understand that to knowingly commit it, you know it is a final solution, impacting not only you but also your surroundings. Suicide comes of ultimate dispair if not out of stupidity or accident. Cyber-bullying is also a very weak premise to be the sole factor in an individual committing this ultimate act.

 

[Happiness Assassin]

Yay! Time to put this in the pile of evidence that gaming isn't bad but gets ignored anyway anytime a criminal happened to have stood next to a game at some point.

 

[zero_traveler]

I honestly believe that for some kids a certain game can have a certain effect on them although at that point the problem most certainly isnt the game but what surrounds them (the game might not help though)

That's a big topic [intelligent] people are bringing up with the latest "game murder." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/27/marie-smothers-grand-theft-auto_n_3821879.html

Long story short, an 8 year old shot his grandma in the back with a handgun after playing GTA IV. Children his age don't yet understand death permanence. Show them anything death related and they just won't get it. Games won't make a kid violent, but it makes sense that a little kid exposed to the violence won't understand that it is bad and not to be repeated if no one tells him.

Also, WHO THE F*** LETS AN 8 YEAR OLD PLAY GTA IV?

That's just bad Gun Safety on top of that.

Who the F*** just leaves a handgun where an 8 YEAR OLD can get a hold of it.

Forget the Game angle. Kids play with NERF GUNS. 8 Year Old finds handgun "Ooh, new nerf gun! Hey Grandma! *BANG*"

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

And judging from the numerous articles and forum posts we've seen here of late the gaming community seems to be rife with hostility towards women, towards game creators, and other gamers themselves, up to and including threats of murder. From tragic news stories this year we've seen the act of cyber-bullying can lead people to commit suicide. I don't find it much of a logical step that this kind of aggressive behavior could also potentially lead to actions of homicide.

That's more of a problem with the "internet community" (if we can use such a broad term). I've seen the same thing happen with films, music, books, comics, you name it.

It does tend to happen with "nerdy" things more, though. So maybe it's a 'nerd culture' issue? Either way it's not exclusive to games.

 

[medv4380]

As someone with schizophrenia I can tell you that you are wrong. People with schizophrenia are no more dangerous than your average person.

Sorry you have the disease.
A study that lumps all forms of mental illness together is meaningless. They're doing the same thing that this articles study is doing. Lumping in a large portion of mild to nonexistent mental disorders due to improper diagnosis of ADHD, and then can't find a large enough margin to find any statistical difference.

Full on schizophrenia comes with auditory hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and a slew of other irrational symptoms. One of those happens to be that nearly 20% of them happen to be involved in violent behavior. With any luck your in the 80% category that are nonviolent. However, in the grand scope of mental illness only 2% engage in violent behavior who have a mental illness. Since you have so much faith in government studies from the National Institute of Health how about this one comparing the violence in schizophrenia to all other mental illnesses.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2006/new-factors-identified-for-predicting-violence-in-schizophrenia.shtml

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that is heavily linked to violence.

 

[taciturnCandid]

As someone with schizophrenia I can tell you that you are wrong. People with schizophrenia are no more dangerous than your average person.

Sorry you have the disease.
A study that lumps all forms of mental illness together is meaningless. They're doing the same thing that this articles study is doing. Lumping in a large portion of mild to nonexistent mental disorders due to improper diagnosis of ADHD, and then can't find a large enough margin to find any statistical difference.

Full on schizophrenia comes with auditory hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and a slew of other irrational symptoms. One of those happens to be that nearly 20% of them happen to be involved in violent behavior. With any luck your in the 80% category that are nonviolent. However, in the grand scope of mental illness only 2% engage in violent behavior who have a mental illness. Since you have so much faith in government studies from the National Institute of Health how about this one comparing the violence in schizophrenia to all other mental illnesses.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2006/new-factors-identified-for-predicting-violence-in-schizophrenia.shtml

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that is heavily linked to violence.

From the same study

Minor violence was associated with co-occurring substance abuse and interpersonal and social factors. Serious violence was associated with psychotic and depressive symptoms, childhood conduct problems, and victimization.

Another thing from the study

Of the participants, 35.7% had a substance abuse or dependence disorder; an additional 24.5% used alcohol or illicit drugs without significant impairment.

Schizophrenia itself is not violent in nature and does not carry an increased risk of violence, as shown by the one i posted. However, schizophrenia combined with things like substance abuse and mood disorders is dangerous.

The rate of violence in people with schizophrenia who did not have a coexisting substance abuse disorder is the same as the general population. However, people with schizophrenia are more likely to develop substance abuse disorders than the general population.

Schizophrenia itself is not dangerous. That is a harmful myth.