Seeking funding for school safety measures to prevent shootings, a Pennsylvania

state lawmaker is proposing a 10 percent sales tax on violent video games.

Rep. Christopher Quinn (R., Delaware), said the tax revenue would be distributed to
school districts undergoing projects to improve safety, such as installing bulletproof
glass, metal detectors, or security cameras.

Researchers have said there is no link between violent video games and horrific acts
of violence such as school shootings, said Patrick Markey, a professor of brain and
psychological sciences at Villanova University and co-author of Moral Combat: Why
the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong. Markey said his research has shown dips
in violent crime when people are playing video games. The most likely explanation,
he said, is that video games give teenagers something to do and “keeps them off the
street
“Horrific acts of violence” such as school shootings, however, Markey said, are not
linked to video games. While the role of video games in mass shootings has been
debated, Markey said eliminating violent video games would not make anyone
safer. While about 70 percent of male high school students play violent video
games, Markey said, only about 20 percent to 40 percent of school shooters play
them.
“The danger here with video games is, it creates a red herring,” Markey said.
Quinn said he is not trying to censor or eliminate video games, but wants to “come
up with funds that can help us fund what we need for our schools.”