Violent Video Games May Actually Lower Violent Crime

As sales of violent video games go up, violent crimes go down. That's what University of Texas Arlington associate professor Michael Ward discovered in a recent study. The reason? TIME!

Just about any afternoon in the lobby of UTA's Trinity House you'll hear an awful lot of smack talk. It's generally full of students playing video games. On a recent Thursday afternoon, they were playing Super Smash Bros. Despite all the aggression, it's one of the least violent games they play.

"Usually, if there's no blood, it's not that bad," said gamer Reginald Adetula.

Normally, their television screens are colored with more graphic images.

"Yaah, like, every game I play is violent," said gamer Ricky Roden. "They're just fun."

"In Grand Theft Auto, you're stealing people's cars. You can punch people. You can blow them up," said Adetula.

If you're worried the games will inspire the guys to go out and commit violent acts, don't be...

"Not at all. I'm actually a rather peaceful person," said Adetula.

"The term that is used is this is 'voluntary incapacitation,'" said Ward.

Ward, along with two professors at Baylor University and the Centre for European Economic Research, just released a study. The study shows that, as violent video game sales go up, violent crime goes down.

"If this game is really fun, you're going to play with it a lot. If its not so fun, you're going to go off and play sports, do your homework, or go knock over a liquor store," said Ward.

Because if you're shooting at people on screen, you just don't have time to shoot at people. It's called the 'time-use' effect.

"So, all those hours that you're playing the game are hours that you're not out getting into trouble," said Ward.

Ward admits, other psychological studies do seem to show a link between violent video games and aggression. That wasn't the subject of this study.

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Source: https://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-violent-v...0,6031063.story