The question about whether or not violent video games lead to antisocial behavior has been one on the public conscious for decades now. Increasingly, research points to the answer being no.
A 2016 study assessed the correlation between violent video games and antisocial or bullying behavior in children, as well as parental involvement, using a survey. The children’s reasons for playing were also assessed. The research revealed no correlation between violent video games and real life violent behavior, and even a loose correlation between the usage of video games and civic engagement. Parental involvement also had no effect on violent video game exposure. It was found that boys played violent video games more than girls, but both did it simply for fun and many, as an escape or to release stress. These findings were in line with other studies that pointed to youth turning to action oriented games to reduce stress.
Perhaps the notion of violent video games being a gateway to real life acts of violence will be a thing of the past. Afterall, we’ve moved away from the ideas that rock music or comic books inherently negatively impact youth. The more we study the phenomenon, the more we come to the conclusion that many art forms, video games included, aren’t a predictor of violence.