Press release: Violent games not to blame for youth aggression

[Ferguson, Christopher J.]

Hello, I'm forwarding along the press release for a new 1-year outcome
study of video game violence and youth violence. Happy to send a copy
to any who request, but free copies can also be found at:
http://www.tamiu.edu/~cferguson/Video%20Games%201%20Year.pdf

PRESS RELEASE

Violent games not to blame for youth aggression

New study shows that depression, not video games, could be to blame
for youth violence

New York / Heidelberg, 14 December 2010

How depressed young people are strongly predicts how aggressive and
violent they may be or may become. Contrary to popular belief,
however, exposure to violence in video games or on television is not
related to serious acts of youth aggression or violence among
Hispanics in the US, according to new research by Dr. Christopher
Ferguson from Texas A&M International University. His findings are
published online in Springer’s Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

The potential negative effects of violent video games on adolescent
antisocial behavior, and youth violence in particular, is a highly
debated issue, both in academic circles and among the general public
and policy makers. However, to date, the research is inconclusive
largely due to methodological problems.

Ferguson recruited 302 mainly Hispanic youth between the ages of 10
and 14 years, from a small Hispanic-majority city population on the
border of Mexico, as part of a larger study of youth violence. They
were interviewed twice – once at the start of the study and again 12
months later.

Ferguson looked at their exposure to violence both in video games and
on television as well as negative life events, including neighborhood
problems, negative relationships with adults, antisocial personality,
family attachment, and delinquent peers. He also assessed the styles
of family interaction and communication, adolescents’ exposure to
domestic violence, depressive symptoms, serious aggression, bullying
and delinquent behavior.

His analyses show that 75 percent of young people played video games
within the past month on computers, consoles or other devices, and 40
percent played games with violent content. Boys were more likely than
girls to play violent games. One year later, 7 percent reported
engaging in at least one criminally violent act during the previous 12
months, the most common being physical assaults on other students or
using physical force to take an object or money from another person.
Nineteen percent reported engaging in at least one nonviolent crime
during the same period, with shoplifting and thefts on school property
at the top of the list.

In addition, Ferguson found that depressive symptoms were a strong
predictor for youth aggression and rule breaking, and their influence
was particularly severe for those who had preexisting antisocial
personality traits. However, neither exposure to violence from video
games or television at the start of the study predicted aggressive
behavior in young people or rule-breaking at 12 months.

Ferguson concludes: “Depressive symptoms stand out as particularly
strong predictors of youth violence and aggression, and therefore
current levels of depression may be a key variable of interest in the
prevention of serious aggression in youth. The current study finds no
evidence to support a long-term relationship between video game
violence use and subsequent aggression. Even though the debate over
violent video games and youth violence will continue, it must do so
with restraint.”

Reference

Ferguson CJ (2010). Video games and youth violence: a prospective
analysis in adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence; DOI:
10.1007/s10964-010-9610-x

The full-text article is available to journalists on request.

Contact: Joan Robinson, Springer, tel +49-6221-487-8130,
joan.r...@springer.com