Violent games influence children’s behaviour: report

New research that demonstrates a link between violent video games and aggressive behaviour in children has raised an alarm in South Africa, where levels of violence are among the highest in the world.

Presented at an international conference in Canada earlier this month, the report says a “single brief exposure to violent media can increase aggression in the immediate situation”, while “repeated exposure leads to general increases in aggressiveness over time”.

In South Africa, says Kevin Southgate, a community leader in the notoriously violent Cape Town area of Lavender Hill, it would be “very naive of us to think that young people don’t make the connection between what they play or see on the screen, and what is happening around them”.

He says there is no doubt that ongoing exposure to violence in both gaming and in reality are leading to “younger and younger” members of communities taking on the same characteristics.

“They see this as a form of exposing themselves to the realities that they experience on a daily basis,” he says.

“And that makes it all seem normal. In school, more than ever, we are seeing young people acting out forms of violence and bullying.”

This is in a national context of violent crimes that echo the themes portrayed in games like the Grand Theft Auto series, which has players taking on the role of a criminal in a big city and rising through the ranks of organised crime.

When the UN Office on Drugs and Crime released its Global Study on Homicide last year, South Africa featured in the top 10 countries with the worst homicide rates.

Another symptom of South Africa’s infamy for its levels of violence was when Interpol dubbed the country the rape capital of the world, and reported that women were “more likely to be raped than educated”.

Says William Bird, the director of Media Monitoring Africa: “In this context, it would hardly be surprising that if children are exposed to more violence in games and media, then it is likely to negatively impact them. Violence begets violence.”

He also points out that politicians use violent discourse, and that “some of our biggest media stories like Marikana, (Shrien) Dewani and (Oscar) Pistorius are all focused on violence”.

But he adds: “I would be loath to suggest exposure to violent games or media alone will lead to violent behaviour. It is more likely to flow from home experience and at school.”

He says we urgently need to change the culture of violence in the country, and suggests highlighting non-violent role models from celebrities to politicians and musicians.