Games credited with crime reduction - Study

My dad always said me thai video games will make me aggressive i wish he could read this

Suck on that mass media. It does only kind of make sense that if people want to smash some heads, you should give them an outlet for their aggression that doesn't actually involve the real smashing of heads. I can say that the knowledge that I'll get to pwn some n00bs when I get home helps me get thru the day sometimes.

in essense, games are keeping people busy, so no idle hands...I'm not sure this is a resounding victory, but there might be something to this study.

another reason to love video games :)

Wow. To think, in some weird alternate world, i'm selling crack and bustin caps instead of playing demon's souls. On the bright side, i'd be more productive...

Yes, Call of Booty keeps me off the streets.

Yes, they are all too busy killing each other in COD to bother with gangs, drugs, or whatever negative social aspects might otherwise influence them.

Great!!! Just throw a lil sticky greens in the mix and we have the perfect recipe for world peace! lol

i always used the video game to release some stress or get some fun and even kill some time, but say that some games brings more violence to the world is a total crazy thing. i think that if the video games can affect some people its because of their weak personality.

You guys do know this isn't proven?

This is so amusing. Thanks for citing this article, Tor Thorsen ( @thorsen-ink ). That said, did you peek into Brendan's subscriptions? Usually, Brendan would be the one posting such articles. ;)

Take that Nancy Pelosi you socialist freak!

Urge to kill...rising...*plays video games*

ok conclusion :P send consoles in warzones with free drinks and food and we will have a peaceful world

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HA! Take THAT Jack Thompson! :P If only these games helped violent crimes drop in the UK...

I have always thought this. I've long suspected that violent video games keep me from giving in to my "dark passenger" :)

@el3m2tigre The reason why people blame violence on the media is because the media makes a convenient fall guy, so they can commit crimes and be found not guilty by blaming it on the media! Haven't you seen Scream 2?!

Leland Yee just got PWNDIZZLED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personally I agree with this, but... People who agree with this agreed with this before they read it. People who still don't agree with this will look at all the research that didn't agree with this either. People who don't know because there's so much "research" done into both sides still don't know.

But as soon as psn goes down....

Niko now teches a new lesson

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no matter what media someone is viewing if the society they are living in have instilled upon them the correct ( or at lest anti -violence ) moral stand points they are very unlikely to be a problem and the media will have little effect, the people at risk of offending are those living in a environment that supports such action :(

Oh damn, in the world of multi media someone always has to blame something else for a person's actions. They don't want to consider real reasons as to why someone's done an act of crime. For them it is just easier to dismiss any thought and to off load the blame on to something/someone else to give them peace of mind. Saying video games course violence is silly. If you are going to say that you could say it about anything. Besides this kind of study is just stupid any how because, 1, a group of test subjects don't give voice to everyone and 2, even if you did find an answer, what then? Sure it might fuel aggression within a few people but it is not forcing them to go out and commit crime any more than everything else..... Oh by the way, I know this is off topic but did you know they caught a suspect in finding the peeps behind Lulz Sec? This little school kid from Essex!

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It takes a special kind of lunatic to be inspired to emulate violent video games in real life. That psychotic trait had to be present before the controller got in their hands. They'd probably be more likely to snap after being told to take the trash out.

@Adenosine That's a great perspective:) I think it has a lot of merit as I think we all feel a little relieved after killing a bunch of aliens or whatever in a game. It's a great way to release anger without getting arrested:)

Most people who have some sort of problems or stress simply need to have a way to release it. A lot of people, including myself, have been using video games as a way to release this stress. In games, you can be as violent as you want and you'll never be punished in real life. You don't need to actually do the violence and brutality in real life to satisfy your need for destruction. You can play out your fantasies in games, beat the crap out of that irritating neighbor jerk of yours in GTA4, and more! Anger and other forms of emotions, when not properly allowed to be expressed, can increase the possibility that the person harboring these feelings would just "explode" or go "postal" because he/she had no way of expressing the negative feelings.

take that Jack Thompson. in your face gamers win again

My study finds that games reduce time spent eating,sleeping,driving,working,tanning,swimming,riding roller coasters,and clog dancing.Apparently,it is difficult or impossible to do those things while gaming.A similar effect is created by TV and Internet browsing.I call this the "couch potato effect." Of course you can't go steal a car or shoot someone if you're inside playing CoD! This whole games and violence thing is annoying. I believe violent games cause more aggression,but they don't cause crime.People just don't want to take responsibility."Oh the game made me do it!" they whine. What's the matter,"The Devil made me do it," stopped working for ya?

Interesting, video game crack replaces actual crack

I always said games reduce crime.. every one wants to do bad things... and take out frustration.. and tell me a place where u can do anything without regrate gta, nfs etc

and I recall having read this same thing somewhere half a year ago. Not the same sources, but regardless. It's just plain ridiculous how they used to blame everything on videogames. Before they used to blame it on TV. They just have to blame it on something/someone else.

How long before another anti-gaming study comes up and everyone forgets this one?

smoking pot reduces crime too...kinda..in an ironic way

@dylan417 Maybe the companies shoule release some hacking games to keep the morons entertained? XD

well this makes a change!!!

Wish they'd show this study to the locals around here, just last week someone stole some hundred dollar weave. It's crazy out there some days.

video games dont do anything its crime shows like CSI etc that show how to kill and the mistakes the killer made so someone can kill just like them without mistakes

@el3m2tigre It's because video games compared to other forms of media is newer to the entertainment industry. People want to find one thing a violent person does on average and pin it as something that will cause you to do bad things. TV is also incredibly violent, yet there is no blame there. In the years to come people will get used to this type of media and there will be something new that will take its place as a bad influence.

Why on earth are people so intimidated by video games???

This is a bit off topic but I remember watching this movie on Lifetime, it was about this kid who supposedly killed his sister. The police searched his room and concluded that he killed his sister because he played a horribly violent video game Final Fantasy 7. lol. Stand still while I swing a kitchen knife at you please :).

I never understood the argument. In GTA when you shoot people the cops come after you. In GTA you can die. Sure you can come back to life after that. But thinking that cheat codes and reloading your game after you die applies to real life is indicative of problems entirely apart from games.

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I guess this crime reduction doesn't apply to cyber crimes, such as hacking?

Anthony Weiner pulled his weiner out because of GTA 4. Fact. Let's sue Rockstar. and lol @ "related game: Wii U"

Games in general don't instill "bad behavior" in people, because in general the people playing the game have a fully developed brain or close to it. Game do affect the younger teen crowd, whether in a good or bad way is dependent on the game itself. More so, games definitely affect children pre-teens, their brains haven't fully developed and they learn based on what they see and how their environment is around them. I think video games are hardly a threat to mental health, the parents just need to teach their children good values.

hahaha. everyone who says that these GTA kinda games promotes antisocial behavior & promotes crime, they all are dumb a$$ . everyone knows that its just a game. & in game like GTA we have cheats to reduce the wanted level & loose the cops but everyone knows that if you did these kinda things in real life. you'll end up in prison doin 3 or 4 years so please stop blaming these games for increasing crime rates & thank god people stopped blaming games for increase in crime rate infact they are sayin that it helps reducing crime rate. thats great :D

So, basically, they're saying that video games prevent crime simply because gamers are too lazy to get off their a**es and go hurt someone. Interesting. Also interesting that the BBC would credit the "elimination of lead in petrol" with reduced crime rates, while ignoring the positive effect of increased civilian gun ownership and looser concealed-carry laws.