Violent video games are being played by children all over the world. Do these games contribute to violent behavior in youth? The answer is yes. These games can definitely have an effect on children today. Modern video games target children and teens, revealing suggestive themes that promote aggression and negative behavioral changes in users. Other forms of media violence may be connected to violent behavior in children too. There are children whose futures may be in danger, just because their parents didn't monitor the violent media they were watching. I did not realize how serious media violence was until I did some research and it saddens me that children have such easy access to this inappropriate nonsense. .
Violent video games can have an effect on children but it does not mean that they are going to be killers. Research states that a child's personality may be a bigger factor of a negative behavioral change than the video game. Violent video games are definitely not a good option for your child if they are moody, impulsive, or unfriendly (Jayson). In more extreme cases violent video games may be correlated with children who have committed murder. David Grossman, a retired Army Ranger and tactical trainer, believes that video games are training children to kill. Grossman has written two books on the connection between media violence and real-life violence. He states that, "children learn to use weapons and become sharpshooters through simulated games the same way soldiers use simulations to improve their shooting precision." Grossman also states that in 1997's high school shooting in Paducah, Kentucky, the fourteen year old who opened fire on a prayer group did not miss one shot he took on all eight targets. According to the FBI, in "shootouts less than three meters from their targets", officers hit, on average, one out of five shots. Also, these officers are trained and have had practice with guns.
