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Studies Probe Effects of Virtual Violence on Children

Brian Vastag

JAMA. 2004;291:1822-1824.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The two Colorado teenagers who killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in 1999 spent endless hours blasting opponents in violent video games. Millions of children and adolescents who will never touch an actual firearm continue to do the same.

Neither observation—no matter how loudly touted by those seeking or opposing restrictions on video game sales—explains how virtual violence impacts children.

Consensus is lacking on whether video games with violent content fuel aggressive behavior in children and adolescents. In a rating system adopted by the video game industry, violence is labeled as cartoon, fantasy, sexual, or intense. (Photo credit: Running With Scissors Inc/POSTAL 2)

Twenty-five years after the crude virtual ping-pong game Pong ushered in the video game era, researchers have finally begun inching toward answers. As on-screen characters have evolved from blocky stick-figures into photorealistic avatars, concerns about video game violence have soared. . . . [Full Text of this Article]