Christopher Heath
Professor Clifford Stumme
ENGL 101-045
16 November 2020
Young Kids and Violent Video Games
The Columbine shooting on April 20, 1999 was a day of sorrow and mass murder.
Two young men with severe psychological issues, which was supposedly because they were
teased for years on end by the kids in school, brought guns into their high school and decided it
would be a good idea to commit murder to solve their problems. This all resulted in the death of
twelve classmates, one teacher, and twenty other students who were injured because the killers
used sawed-off shotguns, assault rifles, pistols, and thirty bombs (Nikki Hawkins). Senseless
killings and acts of violence like this are mainly caused by the individual believing that out of all
the options available to solve their dilemma, violence is the best one. Video games have had a
large impact on society for the past near half-decade since they were created, and over the years
a variety of genres have been added. A genre of video games has been taking heat from parents
for the nature of the game and the effect they believe it is having on their children. This genre is
classified as violent video games. This is such a prevalent issue because according to Zheng, Jia-
Kun, Zhang and Qian who wrote an article on this issue, 89% of video games that kids play
today involve some sort of blood and gore (“Priming Effect of Computer Game Violence on
Children's Aggression Levels”). There is in fact a valid reason that parents should be concerned
about the effect that violent video games have on their kids, especially when they are in the stage
of childhood where they are most susceptible to influence and aggression in children is
increasing. Parents should not allow their kids under the age of 10 to play violent shooter games
because it becomes problematic when kids that are influenced by these games become aggressive
towards their peers and develop bad habits.
The main group of kids that parents are concerned about are young boys that play these
types of games. Young boys tend to find more violent video games and actions as fun and
pleasant as opposed to young girls who view these same games as scary and unappealing. In a
study done by Zheng and others, it was displayed on a five point grading scale (5 being the most
pleasant) that “boys regarded [the violent video game] as being more pleasant, t(76) = 4.63, p < .
001, exciting, t(76) = 4.35, p < .001, and interesting, t(76) = 2.23,p < .05, and causing less fear,
t(76) = -2.33,p < .05” (“Priming Effect Of Computer Game Violence On Children's Aggression
Levels”). These results highly contrasted what girls viewed that same video game as. They
thought it was much less appealing. As girls do not like violence in video games as much, they
are much less likely to be influenced by any games with violence. Children are much more likely
to copy things that they like and since boys like violent things they will be more likely to copy
what they see in these video games. The more that boys play violent and competitive video
games, the higher amount of aggression that will be shown over time (PJC. Adachi, T.
Willoughby, et al). The influence that violent video games have on boys is far greater and over
time boys would then become more of a threat if allowed to play violent video games from an
early age. Even though boys can be influenced by violence in video games more easily, girls
should also not be allowed to play these same video games because it still affects them, just
much less than boys. Parents should be careful of what their young boys under the age of ten
play because they are easily influenced by aggressive behavior shown in video games.
The development of the brain happens constantly throughout a person’s life but the most
change goes on in the years of one’s adolescence. Kids under the age of ten can be affected
physically and mentally by things around them which would then have a negative impact on their
adult life. It is very important for parents to understand that “the maturation of various neural
circuits during adolescence depends, to a large degree, on one's experiences both physical and
psychosocial” (Diana Dow-Edwards, et al.). This means that depending on what children are
exposed to, their brain can make them develop very good or very bad habits later in life. The
change that can occur from the exposure to certain media and events that happen around children
can change their mind’s capabilities to process information. Information is passed through neural
pathways in the brain and every second that someone breathes a pathway is slightly altered.
Meaning that if a child is exposed to violent video games for a long amount of time it can
influence that child to be much more aggressive than they normally would be. Aggression is not
the only negative effect of violent video games displayed in a study by PJC. Adachi, “Our
findings, taken together with the fact that millions of adolescents play competitive video games
every day and that competitive gambling may increase as adolescents transition into adulthood”
(“Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between Competitive Video Games,
Competitive Gambling, and Aggression”). The development of a child is very important and if
allowed to play such games, bad habits will develop out of the influences they have in their
developmental stage of life. Aggression is not necessarily instinctual but rather taught, and if
children are exposed to such aggression from video games that they like they then will become
aggressive. Children at a young age are still developing their brain and everything that surrounds
them causes changes in their development which is why with the negative effects that violent
video games can have on a child’s brain prove the fact that children under ten years old should
not be allowed to play such violent games.
The lack of parental guidance, behavioral control, and the increased influence of violent
behavior causes unneeded aggression towards others. For reference, behavioral control is “the
exercise of influence and authority over human behavior” (PsychologyDictionary.org). How
parents use their influence is a large part of how one raises a child. Using parental guidance to
influence children instead of allowing those children to play violent video games is the correct
way to help any child who is still finding out exactly who they are. Violent video games reverse
many of the efforts the parents do to raise a morally correct and nice adult later in life because of
the fact that violence is portrayed as the only way to solve problems. Problem solving is a major
facet of human life and influence from childhood impacts how they deal with it. For example, in
an experiment that was conducted using children from the ages six to nine it was shown that
when parents demonstrate behavioral control, children were nearly 20% more likely to be more
kind towards other kids their age instead of being selfish or mean to them (Nikolaus Steinbeis,
Harriet Over). Violent video games create bad habits for problem solving because these games
teach children that the most effective way to solve a problem is through violence but that is
simply not the case. A major issue for children is the dilemma whether they should share and
“children share more when primed by behavioral control both when told to share as they wish
and when told to share as they think they should” (Nikolaus Steinbeis, Harriet Over). If
behavioral control from the adults had not been used the children would be much less likely to
share. It is much more effective for parents to stay involved and to not allow children to play
violent video games as to expand their child’s mind to other solutions when it comes to solving
problems. Because violent video games go against parent’s teachings, parents should not allow
their children that are under ten to play gory, violent video games.
Keeping children happy and able to function as a normal member of society is what many
parents want. Violent video games go against the values of what parents teach. Reversing the
effects of parenting and turning children into aggressive people later in life are what violent
video games have a tendency to do when children are exposed to them. It is not a good idea for
parents to continue letting their children to play these types of games and parents should practice
behavioral control over their children so that children know the right way to do things instead of
the evil way. The satisfaction for many young boys to play violent video games and get kills is a
major proponent in the reason why they tend to be influenced more easily than girls and parents
need to make sure that young children do not become influenced from these destructive games.
The brain of a child functions differently than that of an adult and is much more easily influenced
which is why the effects of peer and parent influence is so important to understand (Diana Dow-
Edwards, et al.). Placing good influences around young children is the best way for parents to
raise happy unaggressive children that do not develop any type of long-term illness or any bad
habits later in life. Protect the mental development and the future of children and do not allow
children under the age of ten to play such violent video games.
Christopher Heath
Professor Clifford Stumme
ENGL 101-045
9 November 2020
Proposal Essay Outline
Thesis
Parents should not allow their kids under the age of 10 to play violent shooter games
because it becomes problematic when kids that are influenced by these games become aggressive
towards their peers and develop bad habits.
1. Boys are more susceptible to being influenced by violent games
a. Girls view violent video games as scary, so they are not inclined to act in
aggression or be influenced by these games at all
i. boys regarded Virtual Cop2 as being more pleasant, t(76) = 4.63, p < .001,
exciting, t(76) = 4.35, p < .001, and interesting, t(76) = 2.23,p < .05, and
causing less fear, t(76) = -2.33,p < .05” (“Priming Effect Of Computer
Game Violence On Children's Aggression Levels”).
b. Children are much more likely to copy things that they like and since boys like
violent things they will be more likely to copy what they see in these video games
i. The more that boys play violent and competitive video games, the higher
amount of aggression that will be shown over time (PJC. Adachi, T.
Willoughby, et al).
2. Kids are in the developmental stage of brain development. Kids can be affected
physically and mentally by the things around them causing a negative impact in their
adulthood.
a. Kids under the age of ten can be affected physically and mentally by things
around them which would then cause a negative impact in their adult life
i. the maturation of various neural circuits during adolescence depends, to a
large degree, on one's experiences both physical and psychosocial” (Diana
Dow-Edwards, et al.).
b. The development of a child is very important and if allowed to play such games
bad habits will develop out of the influences they have in their developmental
stage of life.
i. “Our findings, taken together with the fact that millions of adolescents
play competitive video games every day and that competitive gambling
may increase as adolescents transition into adulthood” (“Demolishing the
Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between Competitive Video Games,
Competitive Gambling, and Aggression”).
3. The lack of parental guidance, behavioral control, and the increased influence of violent
behavior causes unneeded aggression towards others.
a. Define Behavioral control
i. “the exercise of influence and authority over human behavior”
(PsychologyDictionary.org)
b. Problem solving is a major facet of human life and influence from childhood
impacts how they deal with it
i. when parents demonstrate behavioral control children were nearly 20%
more likely to be more kind towards other kids their age instead of being
selfish or mean to them
c. . It is much more effective for parents to stay involved in their child’s life to
positively influence their decisions
i. “children share more when primed by behavioral control both when told to
share as they wish and when told to share as they think they should”
(Nikolaus Steinbeis, Harriet Over).
Bibliography
Dow-Edwards, Diana, et al. “Experience during Adolescence Shapes Brain Development: From
Synapses and Networks to Normal and Pathological Behavior.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology,
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Accessed Nov 7, 2020
Greitemeyer, Tobias. “The Contagious Impact of Playing Violent Video Games on Aggression:
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Hawkins, Nikki. “Early Responses to School Violence.” Taylor & Francis, 2008,
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J135v04n03_12. Accessed 9 Nov. 2020
PJC. Adachi, T. Willoughby, et al. “Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between
Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression.” Journal of Youth and
Adolescence, Springer US, 18 Apr. 2014, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-013-9952-2.
Accessed Nov 3, 2020
Steinbeis, Nikolaus, and Harriet Over. “Enhancing Behavioral Control Increases Sharing in Children.”
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Academic Press, 11 Mar. 2017,
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022096517300760?via=ihub. Accessed Nov 3,
2020
Teng, Zhaojun, et al. “Violent Video Game Exposure and Moral Disengagement in Early Adolescence:
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2017, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563217304995?via=ihub. Accessed Nov
3, 2020
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