It’s difficult to imagine anyone being surprised by these conclusions.
According to a Reuters report:
“Our findings add to the growing evidence that violence in the media is related to aggressive behavior, including seriously violent behavior among youths,” Dr. Michele L. Ybarra of Internet Solutions for Kids in Santa Ana, California and her colleagues report. “Reduction in youths’ exposure to violent media should be viewed as an important aspect of violence prevention.”
However, if you read all the way to the final of nine paragraphs in the story, you’ll find this caveat:
But the current study doesn’t answer the question of whether violent media is turning kids violent, whether violence-prone youth are more likely to seek out violence on the Internet, or “more probably,” whether a bit of both is going on, the researchers say.
Wouldn’t it seem as though answering that question would be critical to reaching some of societal consensus on how to address the matter?
