Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents : Theory, Research, and Public Policy

Developmental scientists have been concerned about the effects of violent video games on children and adolescents for decades. This concern has led to a phenomenal amount of high-quality research and sophisticated theories that have allowed several specific testable hypotheses to be formulated about the potential short-term and long-term effects of these games. In the proposed volume, the authors use the General Aggression Model (GAM) as a basis for explaining and predicting effects and changes in aggression related to exposure to violent video games. They also describe how a developmental risk and resilience model can be integrated into GAM to enhance our ability to predict long-term changes based on violent media exposure in conjunction with other risk factors for aggression. The authors conclude that playing violent video games is, indeed, a risk factor for aggressive behaviour regardless of sex, age, or prior aggressive behaviour.