Does Video Game Violence Cause Real Violence - Essay Example

Does Video Game Violence Cause Real Violence? The video game industry has been plagued with accusation that violent video games cause children and adults to commit violent acts. Beyond the censorship debate, the question becomes does video game violence cause real violence? If it does, what age group is most susceptible? Many references and resources are available on this topic. However this paper chooses to focus on several incidents of violence blamed on video games. This is to focus on the individuality of the crimes committed, instead of reducing them to statistics. This method is to prove video game violence might be a factor, but not the sole reason for violence. Video games can include profanity, criminal behavior, drug use, sexual themes, and graphic violence. Under U.S. law video games containing profanity, criminal behavior, drug use, sexual themes, and graphic violence are marked under the game rating label as MA, along with a V for violence and other appropriate warning labels. Specific games, like Grand Theft Auto, Doom, EverQuest, Need for Speed, and other popular titles promote the adverse behavior mentioned above. All of these titles are rated MA. Despite the mature rating children, teenagers, and adults make these titles best sellers. This can lead to the conclusion that video games including profanity, criminal behavior, drug use, sexual themes, and graphic violence are preferred by the public. The first example of video violence influencing real violence is the Columbine Massacre. On 20 April 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at Columbine High School, outside of Denver (Larkin, 1). Armed with an elaborate plan, bombs, and guns, the two shooters entered the school. In forty-five minutes, Harris and Klebold killed twelve students and one teacher. Twenty-four more students were wounded. After the forty-five minute rampage, Harris and Klebold committed suicide (Larkin, 8). The Columbine Massacre was one of the bloodiest school shootings in U.S. history. Before the Columbine Massacre, Harris and Klebold both played an online game called Doom (Larkin, 129). Doom is a first person shooting game for the computer platform. Doom can also be played online against other gamers. Harris even wrote levels of Doom. Manipulating Doom characters into violent scenarios was one of Harris’ hobbies (Larking, 130). The two boys bonded while playing this violent game. Harris even invented a Doom level that resembled Columbine High School. Many were quick to blame the Doom game for the violent attack. The violent video game, Doom, might have been a factor in the Columbine attack, but with a closer look other factors clearly contributed as well. Violent movies might have been the cause of the Columbine attack, or at least contributed to it. Harris and Klebold also liked the violent film, Natural Born Killers (Larking, 143). This film by Oliver Stone depicts a pair of lovers on a random killing spree. The lovers always leave one witness to spread the tale of their horrific rampage. Harris and Klebold would place the name “NBK” for Natural Born Killers into their games, emails, and stories (Larking, 149). Another factor besides Doom was Harris and Klebold love of guns and weaponry. Before 20 April 1999, Harris and Klebold would build bombs, saw off shotgun barrels, and practice shooting handguns (Larking, 129). Their fascination with weapons occurred long before the Columbine Massacre. When they arrived at Columbine High School the day of the mass shootings, Harris and Klebold had homemade bombs. They built the bombs without the help of Doom. Finally the most important contributing factor would be Harris and Klebold’s parents. Although there is no proof they had any knowledge about their sons’ activities, one must question where the Harris and Klebold’s were during their sons’ disturbing activities? The hours and hours the two spent on Doom, watching Natural Born Killers, shooting weapons, and making bombs? It seems like a little parental supervision might have changed the outcome at Columbine High School. Most school shootings have certain things in common. The government has deemed the following was present at the Columbine Massacre and other school shootings: Incidents of targeted violence at school rarely were sudden, impulsive acts. Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack. Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack. There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence. Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the incident that caused others concern or indicated a need for help. Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Moreover, many had considered or attempted suicide. Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted or injured by others prior to the attack. Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack. In many cases, other students were involved in some capacity. Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most shooting incidents were stopped by means other than law enforcement intervention. (Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, and Modzeleski) Harris and Klebold had more factors that drove them to shoots their fellow students that day. Doom did not cause them to kill. It might have contributed, but it was not totally to blame for their rampage. The next example is A teen boy from Ohio was convicted of murdering his mother and attempting to murder his father over the video game Halo 3. The boy, Daniel Petric, was seventeen year old (McCartney). Petric loved the game Halo 3. However, after his father took the game away, Petric began to plot the death of his parents (McCartney). Petric shot his mother and father, placing the gun in his father’s hand to make it look like a suicide (McCartney). After the violent act, Petric took Halo 3 and left. Petric was caught because his father survived. Petric pleaded insanity due to his addiction to the Halo 3 game. Some advocates came to his defense, while others disagreed: The American Medical Association has considered classifying video game addiction as an officially designated psychiatric disorder. Gaming advocates have taken issue with this, some claiming that it will add to negative perceptions of gamers and unnecessary regulation. (McCartney) In the end, it was up to the judge. Petric was found guilty, but not insane. The judge ruled: that Petric may have been rendered mentally unstable by the Xbox 360 game. ‘I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever,’ Burge said in his court ruling. However, the judge felt that Petric knew right from wrong in the real world. Once again other contributing factors might have made Petric try to kill his parents. The game was what he wanted, but with his type of personality anything he was denied might have set him off. The video game was only something desired, not something emulated. If the object would have been a CD, DVD, or piece of clothing, Petric would have killed for what he desired. Like the two examples above, most individuals that commit violence and blame video violence are in their teens or twenties. Most are male. This might be because of the testosterone males experience during this time. Aggressive individuals are stimulated by aggression. One expert suggests: ‘For the vast majority of players, even those who regularly play and enjoy violent games, violence was not a plus,’ explained Andrew Przybylski, a graduate student at University of Rochester and lead author of the study. ‘Violent content was only preferred by a small subgroup of people that generally report being more aggressive,’ he said. And even these hostile players did not report increased pleasure when playing more gruesome games. (LiveScience Staff) Only a “small subgroup of people” liked the violence according to LiveScience Staff. Harris, Klebold, and Petric were part of that small subgroup. If even a small section of the population can be impacted by violent video games, then why do game programmers create violent video games? LiveScience Staff suggests: These elements, said coauthor Richard Ryan, a motivational psychologist at the University, represent ‘the core reasons that people find games so entertaining and compelling. Conflict and war are a common and powerful context for providing these experiences, but it is the need satisfaction in the gameplay that matters more than the violent content itself.’ War and conflict are something that every basic human responds to, including the normal and the aggressive. The small population of aggressive teen males should not prevent the rest of society from enjoying uncensored game play. Finally parents should decide what their child should watch. A parent should know a child better than anyone. They should recognize an aggressive child and prevent them from playing violent games. Game ratings should be observed in households with children. Most parents do not even realize what their children are playing. If parents spent some time with their children, then some of these tragedies might be prevented. Individuals need to also take responsibility. Even though the judge in the Petric case ruled that Petric knew right from wrong. Harris and Klebold knew right from wrong, or they would not have planned so well. These individuals knew right from wrong, despite their influence by the video games. The video game industry has been blamed for violence caused by children and adults. Video games can contribute to violence. However, video games are not solely to blame for real violence. Aggressive individuals are generally the ones most impacted by video game violence. This is especially true for teenage and early twenties males. Harris, Klebold, and Petric fit these criteria. Annotated Bibliography Larkin, Ralph W. Comprehending Columbine. New York: Temple University Press, 2007, accessed at the library. This book tells about the Columbine Massacre. The shooters had violent video games influence some of their actions. LifeScience Staff. “Video Game Violence Not Why Most Play.” Accessed 9 Feb. 2009 online from http://www.livescience.com/technology/090116-video-game-violence.html This article is about video game player preferences. McCarthy, Caroline. “Murder Conviction for Teen in Halo Case.” 19 Jan. 2009. Accessed online from http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10141467-235.html This article tells of the teen convicted of killing his mother and attempting to kill his father over a video game. Vossekuil, B; Fein R, Reddy M, Borum R, Modzeleski W (PDF). The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States. National Threat Assessment Center, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program and U.S. Secret Service. Accessed online 8 Feb. 2009. This report shows the government’s research on the prevention of school attacks in the U.S. The report was the findings of Safe School Initiative.   Bibliography Larkin, Ralph W. Comprehending Columbine. New York: Temple University Press, 2007. LifeScience Staff. “Video Game Violence Not Why Most Play.” Accessed 9 Feb. 2009 online from http://www.livescience.com/technology/090116-video-game-violence.html McCarthy, Caroline. “Murder Conviction for Teen in Halo Case.” 19 Jan. 2009. Accessed from http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10141467-235.html Vossekuil, B; Fein R, Reddy M, Borum R, Modzeleski W (PDF). The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States. National Threat Assessment Center, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program and U.S. Secret Service. Accessed online 8 Feb. 2009. Read More