In a special December supplement of the Journal of Adolescent Health, a number of articles focus on media impact on violence. The suppliment entitled Youth Violence and Electronic Media: Similar Behaviors, Different Venues? is available is available online for free here.
There are a number of interesting articles focused on electronic-mediated bullying and harassment. Though much of this is not focused on gaming in general, these are important and relevant studies to parents. Noted in one of the studies was the fact that approximately 50% of the victims of “online social cruelty” did not know who the bully was. Thus, technology provides the method and opportunity for adolescents to remain anonymous while being hurtful to their peers.
Closer to home is this article on the effects of media violence. In this case, the researcher L. Rowell Huesmann, Ph.D. states that exposure to electronic media violence conclusively “increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior.” This is reinforced with a bar graph that notes the significance of known health threats and places “Media violence and aggression” second only to “Smoking and lung cancer” and above “Condom use and sexually transmitted HIV.”
Whether or not you agree with all of the observations and conclusions presented here, there is some important work and significant data worth noting. If for no other reason than to increase our awareness as parents. Because knowing what to look for helps us better to guide and inspire our children.
