Confirmed link between violent video games and aggression.

The American Psychological Association (APA), in a press release August 13, 2015 discusses recent research which finds a link between violent video games and aggression. “The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy and sensitivity to aggression,” says the report of the APA Task Force on Violent Media.

There has been much research on video games; however, there is a lacking of research driven information addressing whether violent video games cause people to commit acts of criminal violence.

It seems as though the arousal that comes from violent video games does carry over however the extent to which this occurs is still in question.

The report says that “no single risk factor consistently leads a person to act aggressively or violently however the link between violence in video games and increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field.”

In August 7, in Toronto, APA’s Council of Representatives adopted a resolution which replaces the 2005 resolution on the same topic of video game rating.  Mark Appelbaum, PhD, task force chair stated “What researchers need to do now is conduct studies that look at the effects of video game play in people at risk for aggression or violence due to a combination of risk factors. For example, how do depression or delinquency interact with violent video game use?”  it can be very powerful to take into account depression and anxiety on each person’s functioning. Taking this a step further, making global generalizations and adapting them to the uniqueness of each individual may give us the best opportunity to see a clear picture of the whole person.