No Scientific Link Between Video Games and Violence, Says UKIE Leader

The Association for United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment, one of the trade associations that represents the video game industry in the country, has reacted to the comments made by one Australian police commissioner who claimed that violent video games were linked to an upsurge in knife crime.

Doctor Jo Twist, who is the leader of UKIE, stated, “There is no proven scientific link between playing games and violence, or that playing games de-sensitises people to violence. In fact, research has shown that children can very clearly distinguish the difference between violence in games and the types of violence they hear about on the news.”

He added, “Games are enjoyed responsibly by millions of people and our survey shows that 92% of parents recognise the positive impact of games.”

Andrew Scipione, who is a police commissioner in New South Wales, told the press that video games might be one of the reasons for an increase in violence, because youth are unable to separate the virtual and the real experiences.

A number of studies have tried to establish a clear causal link between violent video games and increased criminal activity, but all of those who claimed clear results have been proved to stand on shaky scientific foundations.

Some researchers have managed to establish a correlation between the two variables, but it is not clear whether another third element is to blame for the link.

Such studies were used by some government representatives to try and ban or limit the sale of some categories of video games, but such measures have failed in both the United States and the European Union.

There are also studies that have shown the upside of playing video games, with first-person shooters linked to better reaction times and strategy titles set to evolve rationalization and logic mechanisms.

Via: No Scientific Link Between Video Games and Violence, Says UKIE Leader