News Study: Games have no relation to crime rate

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2009/01/26/study-games-have-no-relation-to-crime-rate/1

A new study has determined that, contrary to what Jack Thompson would have us believe, games and crime rates don't correlate.

 

I love the way people waste thousands or even millions of <insert a currency here> to state the obvious.

 

Unfortunately it is necessary to prove idiots who spout nonsense wrong, especially when politicians and people in power listen to them or are spouting it themselves.

 

You have very biased articles comments on sites that cater to gamers.
This report studies one phenomenon: mass shootings. Mass shootings are conducted by psychology types that are not representative of more ordinary crime. So this is just one piece in the puzzle. It is not true, as the article title says, that the study shows "Games have no [causative] relation to crime rate".
I don't know the answer to this question but what I do know is it's not obvious in advance; you have to very difficult statistics to identify or rule out causation. Thinking the answer is obvious in advance is incompatible with the scientific spirit.

 

+1

 

i suspect it's a similar relationship with these games as certain types of music

it's not the media in itself that causes the behaviour or even influences it.

there's a certain type of character that commits these type of actions, these specific characters are often drawn to violent music, games, etc. it's more a reflection of their own issues that they seek these releases than evidence that these media's cause their corrupted personality

 

People don't take responsibility for their own actions. I love strippers and killing aliens because it's fun, not because Duke told me to like it. Barney did make me want to shoot myself....oh I hate that ****in purple blob.

I'd give the media a call for their bias ways of twisting the facts and poisoning the minds of their viewers.

 

I think that was Barney's purpose. To annoy us into pacifism

 

Well said. I don't see how most of you above can claim "well obviously" - do any of you have the slightest understanding of psychology, sociology or criminology?

PS: proxess, is that a Refused reference?

 

Well said. I don't see how most of you above can claim "well obviously" - do any of you have the slightest understanding of psychology, sociology or criminology?

PS: proxess, is that a Refused reference?[/QUOTE]

I do. I gave a speech on this very thing to a concerned group of people. The problem with topics of concern like these is that people want to categorize everyone. Black and White Bad and Good for people. I don't have a lot of time to type. But children under age for games can get a warped view of "reality and consequence" playing violent/gory/demonic games. Mentally healthy adults/Teens can separate reality from fiction and have no effect. (Bad)Example porn. I don't think any healthy person expects sex from a pizza delivery. A mentally unstable person might think that happens.

People that commit crimes or will commit crimes later in years are not stemmed from the use of video games, though they may use them to let out anger or frustration or validation that its alright to commit that crime or,....its just a fun game. Thinking things like "People that play this game here, only wish they could do what I do everyday."

Crime comes from Neglect. Thats a broad definition but people that are neglected in many different forms lead a life of crime.

 

I had to come back. Real quickly. I have a new born and as soon as he can punch buttons were going to be playing games together and building computers. If he wants to play Teamfortress, HL Deathmatch like games, I'll be playing them with him too. I got no problems with that.