VIDEO GAMES AND AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR IN TEENAGERS
Tannia Bejarano
CHHS 302
California State University, Monterey Bay
VIDEO GAME USE AMONG AMERICAN TEENS


The Pew Research Center reported in 2008 that 97% of youths
ages 12 to 17 played some type of video game, and that twothirds of them played action and adventure games that tend to
contain violent content.
60% of middle school boys and 40% of middle school girls who
played at least one Mature-rated (M-rated) game hit or beat up
someone, compared with 39% of boys and 14% of girls who did
not play M-rated games.
VIDEO GAME USE AMONG AMERICAN TEENS
“We know that violence
in general ... is
associated with mental
health problems. We also
know, given brain
research, that our brain
sometimes doesn’t
distinguish between
what’s real and what we
see on TV.” — Susan
Tortolero, University of
Texas
Source: PEW Internet & American Life Project, September 2008

CAUSES



Lack of parental
supervision
Peer pressure
Boredom/Isolation
EFFECTS



Lower performance in
school
Desensitization
Bullying/ Violence
SOLUTIONS
Parental Education
 The prevention of addiction and recognizing the
signs of video game addiction

CALL TO ACTION
Mr. Gary L. Yates
 Community
 Parents.

REFERENCES

Huh, J. , & Shin, W. (2011). Parental mediation of teenagers’ video game playing: Antecedents and
Society, 13(6), 945-962.

Gentile, D. , Lynch, P. , Linder, J. , & Walsh, D. (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive
behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 5-22.

Video games (2014) Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence? Retrieved from: http://videogames.procon.org/

Espinosa, P. , & Clemente, M. (2013). Self‐transcendence and self‐oriented perspective as mediators between video game playing
and aggressive behaviour in teenagers. Journal of Community &
Applied Social Psychology, 23(1), 68-80.

Gentile, D. , Lynch, P. , Linder, J. , & Walsh, D. (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive
behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 5-22.

Huh, J. , & Shin, W. (2011). Parental mediation of teenagers’ video game playing: Antecedents and
Society, 13(6), 945-962.

Van Rooij, A. , Schoenmakers, T. , Vermulst, A. , Van den Eijnden, R. , & Van de Mheen, D. (2011). Online video game addiction:
Identification of addicted adolescent gamers. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 106(1), 205-212.

Video games (2014) Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?
Retrieved from: http://videogames.procon.org/


consequences. New Media &
consequences. New Media &
Uhlmann, E. , & Swanson, J. (2004). Exposure to violent video games increases automatic aggressiveness. Journal of Adolescence,
27(1), 41-52.