Surprising findings from the first large-scale epidemiological study examining violent video games and violent crime were released in the American Psychological Association’s journal of Psychology and Popular Media Culture. Although politicians, media and researchers have often linked violent video games to violent crime, researchers from Villanova University and Rutgers University have discovered that violent video games might actually be responsible for a decrease in homicides and aggregated assaults.
In a series of analyses examining annual and monthly video game sales and crime statistics provided by the FBI during the past 30 years, it was found that sales of violent video games were related to decreases in violent crime. Specific analysis of the most popular violent video games (Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Halo) even found that homicides consistently decreased following the release of these billion dollar franchises. Lead author,Professor Markey, suggests that violent video games might reduce real world violence because they effectively remove violent individuals from other social venues where they might have otherwise committed a violent act. In other words, violent individuals might be at home playing a violent video game instead of engaging in other activities (e.g., going to a bar, socializing on the streets, etc.) that are more likely to result in a violent altercation.
The study was published online on Aug. 18 in the American Psychological Association’s journal of Psychology and Popular Media Culture.
Please contact Kiera Daly ([email protected]) for more information and to speak with Professor Markey.
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