April 1, 2005

Parental Involvement Plus Legislation Best Way to Address Video Game Violence

BOONE – A combination of legislation and parental involvement may be the best way to control children’s access to violent video games, says Appalachian State University psychologist Mary Ballard.

Ballard has been studying violence in the media, particularly the effects of video games on aggressive behavior, for more than a dozen years. When she first began researching the topic, video games were relatively tame compared to what’s available for purchase today.

Now video games routinely combine sex and violence.

“That’s where my main concern is now,” Ballard said. “These video games are incorporating sex into them, particularly into the violent games.

Concerns over video game content have prompted many state legislators to seek bans on the sale or rent of graphic video games to children under age 18. But court decisions in Washington state, Missouri and Indianapolis have said such bans are unconstitutional.

Instead of legislation, Ballard encourages parents to monitor their children’s use of video games, as well as the Internet and television. This is important, she says, because research indicates that repeated exposure to sex and violence in the media leads to greater acceptance of aggression or violence. “There is evidence that when men are exposed to sexually explicit violence, they become more accepting of rape and rape myths,” she said.

“Parents really need to take responsibility for the socialization of their children, particularly while they still have them there in the home and they control their exposure to media,” Ballard says. Controlling exposure is something Ballard thinks is possible until children are 14 or 15 years old.

Parents should be aware of and consult the ratings provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) when monitoring their children's game play. In addition, parents should monitor game play sporadically as the game progresses and be aware that game content can change as skill levels are acquired. For example, as players gain advanced skills in a game, additional sexual or more violent content may enter the game context.

“When I grew up, we had one TV and everyone watched it together,” Ballard said. “I really wish people would start doing that again. A lot of kids have TVs in their rooms; a lot of parents don’t use the V chips. There is a lot of content that really isn’t appropriate for children.”

Ballard recommends parental oversight combined with use of the ESRB rating system as a way to mitigate any negative effects.

“Any active media increases arousal and the likelihood of aggression,” Ballard says. “It doesn’t have to be violent. Even an exciting, action-oriented television show that a kid likes might increase arousal and the likelihood of aggression.”

But it’s the violent video games that tend to cause children to be more aggressive or behave badly, she said.

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