Violent video games found not to be associated with adolescent aggression

Researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, have found no relationship between aggressive behaviour in teenagers and the amount of time spent playing violent video games. The study used nationally representative data from British teens and their parents alongside official E.U. and US ratings of game violence. The findings were published in Royal Society Open Science . 'The idea that violent video games drive real-world aggression is a popular one, but it hasn't tested very well over time,' says lead researcher Professor Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute. 'Despite interest in the topic by parents and policy-makers, the research has not demonstrated that there is cause for concern.' The study is one of the most definitive to date, using a combination of subjective and objective data to measure teen aggression and violence in games. Unlike previous research on the topic, which relied heavily on self-reported data from teenagers, the study used information from parents and carers to judge the level of aggressive behaviour in their children. Additionally, the content of the video games was classified using the official Pan European Game Information (EU) and Entertainment Software Rating Board (US) rating system, rather than only player's perceptions of the amount of violence in the game.