NCJ Number
200563
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2003 Pages: 377-389
Date Published
July 2003
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the research literature concerning aggression theory, video game research, and adolescent development.
Abstract
Violent video games have come under scrutiny following a rash of school shootings in the United States. Although links have been drawn between these violent video games and aggressive behavior, scant research has focused on the effects of violent video games during different phases of adolescent development. As such, the author questions whether adolescents may be more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of violent video games during different phases of development. The General Aggression Model (GAM) posited by Anderson and Bushman offers an explanation of the link between aggressive behavior and violent video games. The author suggests that it is possible to integrate GAM with adolescent developmental theories in order to better understand the influence of violent video games on adolescents during different phases of development. Research has shown that the biological and psychosocial changes that occur during early adolescence are associated with an increase in aggressive behavior. This same period of early adolescence is also associated with increased levels of violent video game play. As such, the application of GAM to theories of adolescence development leads to the conclusion that violent video games have their greatest impact on behavior during early adolescence. More research is necessary to further probe this proposition and to establish a causal link between violent video games and aggressive behavior in early adolescence. Reference