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Screen Violence and Youth Behavior

Craig A. Anderson, PhD,​a Brad J. Bushman, PhD,​b,​c Bruce D. Bartholow, PhD,​d Joanne Cantor, PhD,​e
Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH,​f Sarah M. Coyne, PhD,​g Edward Donnerstein, PhD,​h Jeanne Funk Brockmyer, PhD,​i
Douglas A. Gentile, PhD,​a C. Shawn Green, PhD,​e Rowell Huesmann, PhD,​j Tom Hummer, PhD,​k Barbara Krahé, PhD,​l
Victor C. Strasburger, MD,​m Wayne Warburton, PhD,​n Barbara J. Wilson, PhD,​o Michele Ybarra, MPH, PhDp

abstract Violence in screen entertainment media (ie, television, film, video games, and the Internet),
defined as depictions of characters (or players) trying to physically harm other characters
(or players), is ubiquitous. The Workgroup on Media Violence and Violent Video Games
reviewed numerous meta-analyses and other relevant research from the past 60 years,
with an emphasis on violent video game research. Consistent with every major science
organization review, the Workgroup found compelling evidence of short-term harmful
effects, as well as evidence of long-term harmful effects. The vast majority of laboratory-
based experimental studies have revealed that violent media exposure causes increased
aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiologic arousal, hostile appraisals, aggressive
behavior, and desensitization to violence and decreases prosocial behavior (eg, helping
others) and empathy. Still, to more fully understand the potential for long-term harm
from media violence exposure, the field is greatly in need of additional large-sample, high-
quality, longitudinal studies that include validated measures of media violence exposure
and measures of other known violence risk factors. Also, although several high-quality
media violence intervention studies have been conducted, larger-scale studies with more
comprehensive and longer-term assessments are needed to fully understand long-term
effects and to inform the development of tools that will help to reduce problems associated
with aggression and violence. The evidence that violent screen media constitutes a causal
risk factor for increased aggression is compelling. Modern social-cognitive theories of social
behavior provide useful frameworks for understanding how and why these effects occur.

Adolescents spend ∼9 hours per day consuming some form of entertainment media, which
includes television, Internet, and computer and video games (including those played on handheld
devices such as cellular phones).‍1 Video games in particular have increased in popularity, with
some teenagers reporting that they play ≥40 hours per week. The sheer number of hours that

aIowa State University, Ames, Iowa; bThe Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; cVrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; dUniversity of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri;
eUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; fSeattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; gBrigham Young
University, Provo, Utah; hUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; iUniversity of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio; jUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; kIndiana University School of Medicine,
Indianapolis, Indiana; lUniversity of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany; mUniversity of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico; nMacquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia; oUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois; and pCenter for Innovative Public Health Research, San Clemente, California

Drs Anderson and Bushman drafted the manuscript; Drs Ybarra and Bartholow critically revised the manuscript; Drs Cantor, Christakis, Coyne, Donnerstein,
Brockmyer, Gentile, Green, Huesmann, Hummer, Krahé, Strasburger, Warburton, and Wilson critically reviewed the manuscript; and all authors approved the final
manuscript as submitted.
The analysis, conclusions, and recommendations contained in each paper are solely a product of the individual workgroup and are not the policy or opinions of, nor
do they represent an endorsement by Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development or the American Academy of Pediatrics.
DOI: https://​doi.​org/​10.​1542/​peds.​2016-​1758T
Accepted for publication Apr 19, 2017
Address correspondence to Craig A. Anderson, PhD, W112 Lagomarcino Hall, Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. E-mail: caa@iastate.
edu
PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 0031-4005; Online, 1098-4275).

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some youth spend playing video to uniformly and unfailingly support of screen violence on increased
games has led policy makers, parents, or refute any hypothesis. Thus, the aggressive behavior have been
teachers, and researchers alike to fact that some studies fail to find reviewed and affirmed by numerous
question the potential negative and effects of media exposure on relevant major scientific organizations,
positive effects that video games can outcomes, such as aggression, must including the American Academy of
have on players. Thus, our report not be considered alongside the many Pediatrics, the American Academy of
only highlights research involving studies that do report such effects. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the
violent video games but also includes From a logical standpoint, if we American Medical Association, the
research involving other types of accept that exposure to violence in American Psychiatric Association, the
violent screen media. the home, school, and community can American Psychological Association,
harm children, as research suggests the US Surgeon General, the Society
We emphatically state from the
it does,​‍5,​6‍ it seems inconsistent to for the Psychological Study of Social
outset that video games are not
suggest that exposure to violence Issues, and the International Society
inherently “bad.” There are many
in media would have no harmful for Research on Aggression.‍13 A
potential cognitive and social
effects.7 Similarly, if we agree that comprehensive meta-analysis found
benefits of video game play; some
video games have the potential to that exposure to violent video games
have received empirical support.‍2
teach positive behaviors, it again increases aggressive thoughts, angry
Well-designed video games are
seems inconsistent to suggest feelings, physiologic arousal, hostile
excellent teachers (highly motivating,
that video games do not have the appraisals, and aggressive behavior
engaging, and responsive to the
potential to also teach negative and decreases prosocial behavior
player’s skills). However, violent
behaviors. (eg, helping others) and empathy
video games can also have negative
(Fig 1).‍12 A recent meta-analysis also
effects on players. It is also important to understand
revealed that exposure to violent
that no single risk factor causes
Some additional preliminary media increases hostile appraisals
a child or adolescent to behave
information is useful to provide (ie, judgments of the hostile
aggressively or violently. Instead, it
a context for the current review. actions or intentions of others).‍14
is the accumulation of risk factors
First, the terms “aggression” A 2015 American Psychological
and the relative lack of protective
and “violence” as understood Association report by a panel of
factors that lead to aggressive and
by behavioral scientists must be experts on child development
violent acts.‍8–‍ 10
‍ We do not contend
clarified. Aggression is defined as and meta-analysis techniques
that media violence is the only or, in
any action that is intended to cause revealed similar findings.‍15 Effects
most cases, even the primary causal
harm to another who is motivated on aggressive behavior occur
risk factor for aggressive or violent
to avoid being harmed; violence is after brief 1-time exposures (as in
behavior in youth. However, the
an extreme form of aggression that laboratory experiments) and after
research consistently supports the
has the potential to produce severe repeated exposure over time (as in
hypothesis that it is one of the risk
physical harm, such as injury or longitudinal studies) (‍Fig 2). These
factors and that it is not the smallest
death, to another. Not all aggressive effects occur for male and female
of them. Importantly, it is one of the
behavior is violent, but all violent subjects of all ages studied, in both
few risk factors that can be modified
behavior is aggressive. The effects of Western and Eastern countries.12
with little cost to parents or to
violent media on aggressive behavior
society in general.
have been the subject of intense The fact that violent video games
public debate and, to a lesser extent, increase aggressive thoughts, angry
scientific debate. Although debate is feelings, and physiologic arousal
Current State
a healthy component of the scientific can help explain why they can
process, the vast majority of media Since Albert Bandura’s classic also increase aggressive behavior.
effects scholars, pediatricians, and all Bobo doll study,​‍11 which illustrated These are the 3 routes to aggression
major scientific panel reports agree: that children will imitate physical proposed by several social-cognitive
evidence supporting theoretically attacks on inanimate objects that information processing models
well-founded hypotheses linking they view on television, social (‍Fig 3)‍16,​17
‍ : people who (1) have
violent media to aggressive and learning theories have provided a aggressive ideas and thoughts, (2)
violent behavior is considerably convincing theoretical framework to feel angry, and (3) are physiologically
more voluminous and convincing understand violent media effects.‍12 aroused and stressed are especially
than the rare contradictory finding.‍3,​4‍ A large body of evidence reveals likely to behave aggressively.
Science is a cumulative endeavor, and that violent media can increase Violent media also increase hostile
therefore evidence is not expected aggression.‍12 Indeed, the effects appraisals.‍16,​17

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Violent media also can desensitize
people to violence, making them less
sensitive to the pain and suffering of
others. Desensitization is a normal
and protective phenomenon that
occurs automatically over time in
response to difficult experiences,
such as soldiers killing enemies
in war and surgeons performing
operations. In the case of
desensitization to media violence,
the process is likely gradual and
unconscious, occurring as a result of
repeated presentations of violence as
necessary, justified, and fun.‍18

Exposure to violence in media does


not solely affect aggressive behavior.
Although most research has focused
on the effects of media violence
FIGURE 1
Meta-analysis of 381 effects from violent video game studies involving 130 295 participants published on aggression, researchers have
in 136 articles on aggressive thoughts (k = 95, N = 24 533), angry feelings (k = 62, N = 17 370), recently examined other outcomes
physiologic arousal (k = 29, N = 1906), aggression (k = 140, N = 68 313), prosocial behavior (eg, of, for example, violent video game
helping; k = 23, N = 68 313), and empathy and/or desensitization (k = 32, N = 8528),​‍12 along with a
play. Violence in games is often
meta-analysis of 37 independent studies involving 10 410 participants on the relation between violent
media exposure and hostile appraisals.‍14 Capped horizontal bars are 95% confidence intervals. heavily associated with other game
mechanics and themes that can
lead to harmful effects. Some of
these effects appear to be related to
violent video game play in particular,
whereas others may be related to
high media consumption in general.
For example, attentional problems
have become an important area
of focus in research on negative
outcomes of screen media in children
and adolescents.‍19 In 1 longitudinal
study, the amount of exposure to
television at 1 and 3 years of age
predicted attention problems at 7
years of age.‍20 The authors of other
studies similarly have identified
decrements in attention abilities
in youth after high television
viewing and habitual video game
play.‍21–23
‍ Recent research suggests
that exposure to violent media
may also interfere with academic
FIGURE 2 performance‍24 and with learning
Effects of violent video games on aggression in experimental studies (k = 45, N = 3464), cross- a foreign language.‍25 This finding
sectional studies (k = 81, N = 59 336), and longitudinal studies (k = 14, N = 5513).‍12 Capped horizontal
accords with data revealing that
bars are 95% confidence intervals.
screen media exposure, especially
exposure to violent media, is
associated with executive control
impairments and that this effect

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Second, a similarly large-scale,
multisite, multiyear study is
needed to further develop and test
media exposure interventions to
ascertain what works as well as
to provide better evidence-based
options for public policy makers
and consumers to implement. There
have been several media violence
intervention studies over the past
40 years, some of which have
shown promise in reducing future
aggressive or violent behavior. For
example, an intervention built into
a 4-wave longitudinal study with
a sample of over 1600 adolescents
in Germany revealed sustained
effects of a 5-week intervention
to reduce media violence use and
promote an understanding of the
FIGURE 3 processes linking media violence use
A representative social-cognitive information processing model: the General Aggression Model.‍16 to aggressive thoughts, feelings, and
behavior.‍30 Participants assigned
predicts high levels of impulsive participants) developmental study to the intervention group used
aggression.‍26 that incorporates state-of-the-art violent media to a lesser extent up
measures of all known major child to 30 months postintervention, and
Another body of research reveals
and adolescent risk and resilience there was an indirect effect of the
that playing action video games
factors for the development of intervention via reduced media
results in enhancements in basic
aggressive and violent behavior violence on aggressive behavior
visual sensory processing, selective
tendencies. The study should follow up to 18 months postintervention.
visual attention, and some higher
the same large sample of children However, there have been no truly
cognitive skills.‍27 Although many
from an early age (eg, 2 years) large-scale (eg, 20 000 children),
action video games are violent, the
through early adulthood (eg, 30 long-term (eg, 30 years) intervention
violence does not appear to be a
years), and should include known studies that have focused specifically
necessary characteristic to produce
biological, environmental, and social on modifying children’s and
such enhancements. For example,
prenatal and postnatal factors that adolescents’ media diet, both in
certain car driving games and
affect the development of healthy, terms of content and amount and
children’s games (which retain the
productive adults (versus unhealthy, that have included other known risk
fast pace, the need to identify targets
unproductive, antisocial adults). and resilience factors for long-term
from among distracting clutter, and
The study should oversample development as well as extensive
the requirement to produce quick
from high-risk populations. We assessments of midlife achievement,
and accurate decisions) lead to
emphasize the need for state-of- both good and bad.
similar effects despite their lack of
the-art measures because previous
violence.‍28
large-scale, long-term studies of
child development have included Recommendations
weak and/or incomplete measures
Future Research
of media habits. Work of such an The most common question we hear
To address remaining scientific extensive scope would undoubtedly from educators and policy makers
questions related to this topic, require a multisite, federally funded (“Are video games good or bad for
we believe that there are 2 major effort, such as that currently being children and adolescents?”) is much
and somewhat interrelated needs, undertaken by scientists funded by too simplistic. Rather, it is more
each of which requires large-scale, the National Institutes of Health to helpful to think in terms of a healthy
multisite, preferably multinational, study the neural bases of drug use media diet that incorporates similar
long-term studies. The first is a and related disorders in adolescence properties to a healthy food diet:
large-scale (ie, at least 50 000 and early adulthood.‍29 moderation in amount, consuming

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more of the helpful and less of the children are consuming. The best useful for pediatricians and others
harmful content, and having regard way to do this is to watch, play, working with families to recommend
for the age of the consumer.‍31 and listen to the media youth are that parents consider setting time
Pediatricians are in a unique position consuming. Thus, we recommend and content limits on the electronic
to begin counseling parents about a that pediatricians, educators, and media that their children consume.
healthy media diet. Well-care visits, other professionals who work with The American Academy of Pediatrics
which occur with relative frequency children suggest to parents that they recommends no screen time for
in the first few years of life, present do this, preferably at the same time children <18 months old and 1 hour
ideal opportunities for discussing their children are engaging with of screen time per day for youth <5
how parents should help children them. Just as important, pediatricians years old; for children ages 6 and
deal with the abundance of media and other professionals working older, consistent limits on screen
that they will encounter, and why with youth should suggest to parents time and the types of media should
this is important. It is important that they have an ongoing dialogue be enforced, and media should never
that pediatricians, policy makers, with their children about what they take the place of adequate sleep or
and educators know what media are seeing and hearing.‍32 It is also physical activity.‍13

Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics


FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
FUNDING: This special supplement, “Children, Adolescents, and Screens: What We Know and What We Need to Learn,​” was made possible through the financial
support of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Screen Violence and Youth Behavior
Craig A. Anderson, Brad J. Bushman, Bruce D. Bartholow, Joanne Cantor, Dimitri
Christakis, Sarah M. Coyne, Edward Donnerstein, Jeanne Funk Brockmyer, Douglas
A. Gentile, C. Shawn Green, Rowell Huesmann, Tom Hummer, Barbara Krahé,
Victor C. Strasburger, Wayne Warburton, Barbara J. Wilson and Michele Ybarra
Pediatrics 2017;140;S142
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1758T

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has been published continuously since . Pediatrics is owned, published, and trademarked by the
American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, Illinois,
60007. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. All rights reserved. Print ISSN:
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Screen Violence and Youth Behavior
Craig A. Anderson, Brad J. Bushman, Bruce D. Bartholow, Joanne Cantor, Dimitri
Christakis, Sarah M. Coyne, Edward Donnerstein, Jeanne Funk Brockmyer, Douglas
A. Gentile, C. Shawn Green, Rowell Huesmann, Tom Hummer, Barbara Krahé,
Victor C. Strasburger, Wayne Warburton, Barbara J. Wilson and Michele Ybarra
Pediatrics 2017;140;S142
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1758T

The online version of this article, along with updated information and services, is
located on the World Wide Web at:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/140/Supplement_2/S142

Pediatrics is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A monthly publication, it
has been published continuously since . Pediatrics is owned, published, and trademarked by the
American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, Illinois,
60007. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. All rights reserved. Print ISSN:
.

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