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Most middle-school boys and many girls
play violent video games
Children report playing in groups
and that games help them manage emotions
BOSTON - June 29, 2007 - A new study by researchers at the
Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Center
for Mental Health and Media dispels some myths and uncovers
some surprises about young teens and violent video and computer
games. The study, published in the July issue of Journal of Adolescent
Health, is the first to ask middle-school youth in detail about
the video and computer games they play and to analyze how many of
those titles are rated M (Mature - meant for ages 17 and up). It
is also the first to ask children why they play video games. Some
of the more striking findings include:
- Almost all young teens play video games. Just six percent of
the sample had not played any electronic games in the previous
six months.
- Most 7th and 8th graders (ages 12 to 14) regularly play violent
video games. Two-thirds of boys and more than one in four girls
reported playing at least one M-rated game "a lot in the
past six months."
- A third of boys and one in ten girls play video or computer
games almost every day.
- Many children are playing video games to manage their feelings,
including anger and stress. Children who play violent games are
more likely to play to get their anger out. They are also more
likely to play games with strangers on the Internet.
"Contrary to the stereotype of the solitary gamer with no
social skills, we found that children who play M-rated games are
actually more likely to play in groups - in the same room, or over
the Internet," says Cheryl K. Olson, ScD, co-director of the
Center for Mental Health and Media and lead author of the study.
"Boys' friendships in particular often center around video
games."
At a time when the availability of M-rated games is on the rise,
it is important to explore their effects on the children who play
them, the researchers note. This study adds valuable insights into
the everyday lives of young teens: who they're playing with, where,
how much, and why. Olson's team found that Grand Theft Auto
- rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language,
strong sexual content, and use of drugs - was the most popular game
series among the boys surveyed. Surprisingly, it was also the second
most popular series among the girls after The Sims, a game
that simulates the activities of a virtual family; one in five girls
aged 12 to 14 had played Grand Theft Auto "a lot in
the past six months."
This study had a large sample consisting of 1,254 children from
two states and an extremely high response rate, as virtually every
eligible child who attended participating schools on the survey
day took part. Children surveyed came from various socioeconomic,
racial/ethnic and geographic groups, so these findings may represent
the average middle-school child.
Many policy proposals at the state and national level focus on reducing
children's access to M-rated games. Because so many participants
played violent games, this study could give further ammunition to
game critics. "But violent game play is so common, and youth
crime has actually declined, so most kids who play these games occasionally
are probably doing fine," Olson says. "We hope that this
study is a first step toward reframing the debate from 'violent
games are terrible and destroying society' to 'what types of game
content might be harmful to what types of kids, in what situations?'
We need to take a fresh look at what types of rules or policies
make sense."
Finally, the new study suggests ways that parents can limit children's
use of violent games, including keeping game consoles and computers
out of their bedrooms. "And watch what older family members
bring home," says Olson. "Kids who play with older siblings
are twice as likely to play M-rated games."
The Center for Mental Health and Media is part of the MGH Department
of Psychiatry and is associated with Harvard Medical School. The
study was supported by a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. Co-authors
of the report are senior author Eugene Beresin, MD, co-director
of the Center for Mental Health and Media; Lawrence Kutner, PhD,
and Dorothy Warner, PhD, also of the Center; Jason Almerigi, PhD,
Michigan State University; and Lee Baer, PhD, and Armand Nicholi,
MD, MGH Psychiatry.
Massachusetts General Hospital, established in 1811, is the original
and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH
conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United
States, with an annual research budget of nearly $500 million and
major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer,
computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human
genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative
medicine, transplantation biology and photomedicine.
Media Contact: Valerie
Wencis, MGH Public
Affairs
Physician Referral Service: 1-800-388-4644
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