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Is there a link between video games and violent behavior?

Do violent video games lead to violent behavior?

BOISE - Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida are preparing to return to school on Wednesday. The same school where 17 of their fellow students and teachers were killed after a gunman opened fire on February 14.

It’s the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012. As the nation still reels from the horrific shooting, a familiar topic has reemerged: violent video games and the impact they have on children. President Donald Trump even saying we must doing something about what kids are seeing and how they’re seeing it.

However, is there any evidence that violent video games lead to violence? A study done by The American Psychological Association in 2015 showed a correlation between violent video games and aggressive behavior, but found insufficient evidence on if the link extended to criminal violence.

“There is a well-established link between violent video game exposure and increased aggressive behavior, increased aggressive mood, and increased aggressive thoughts,” said St. Luke’s Child Psychologist Roger Olson, PsyD.

Olson added there’s no direct cause-and-effect relationship between video games and violent behavior, but says it is one of the risk factors.

“A desensitizing to aggression. Where we kind of justify or rationalize aggressive behavior and start to think 'oh, it's not that big of deal,’” said Olson.

Olson says there should be a balance between time spent gaming and other activities, especially those that include social interaction.

“Staying up through the night and not sleeping and playing too many video games or electronics and then their grumpy, and irritable, and skipping school or not being able to get up in time for school. If you see decreased empathy and increased aggression in their normal relationships,” said Olson. “If it starts to cause a problem on a daily basis. Where it's impacting relationships and impacting their mood.”

Meanwhile, some like Liza Long, feel this is a false correlation.

“I'm not saying parents shouldn't' be aware, they should of what they're children are playing and what they're consuming on the internet, but all that being said, most kids this age play video games and that's just a reality in our society and I think when we blame violent video games or the media we're just looking at an easy out,” said Long.

Long is a writer who gained national attention after the Sandy Hook shooting when she wrote a blog post titled “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother.” Long isn’t Lanza’s mom, but is raising a child with a mental disorder.

“My son doesn't play violent video games, but he had violent behaviors. They were symptoms of a behavioral brain difference, which we now as bipolar disorder,” said Long.

Long’s son has since received treatment and is doing well because she says he received treatment.

“My response to Congress, to the president and to the NRA is if it is mental illness that is actually great news. Let’s fund it because we know that treatment works and we know recovery is possible. So that is really actually good news because we can solve that problem. If we're just going to blame video games we're dodging the real issues,” said Long.

Long and Olson says if your child is seeing any of these tenancies, there’s resources out there, like counseling, that can help.

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