LAREDO, Texas

THE RELEASE of the game Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA) has set off the expected cascade of concern from society’s moral crusaders. As a psychologist and researcher of violent video games, I am used to the spectacle. Rhode Island Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch has added his voice to the cacophony, warning parents to be wary of GTA. Mr. Lynch’s comments that parents ought to be informed about the content of video games that they buy for their children is an excellent suggestion, yet I fear that these comments may mistakenly contribute to the uninformed hysteria that surrounds modern video games. I believe that parents who may consider buying a Mature-rated game such as GTA for their teens or children should be aware of all the facts.

First, there is no good evidence linking violent video games with aggression, violent behavior or any other “harm.” In my own research I consistently find that violent games are not related to violent criminal behaviors or aggression. Frequent players of violent games are no more likely to commit violent crimes than non-gamers.

A recent Secret Service report on school shooters found that few school shooters had unusual interest in violent video games and may have consumed fewer violent games than normal teen males. Indeed, the recent Virginia Tech shooter did not play violent video games at all, a rarity among young males. Unfortunately the social-science community is largely responsible for the public misconception that violent games and violent behaviors are related. Social scientists have simply failed to communicate to the public the severe limitations and contradictory findings of much of the existing science.

Violent video games have skyrocketed in popularity since the early 1990s. Since that time, in the United States and Canada, violent-crime rates have plummeted. We can be sure that violent video games have not sparked a violence epidemic because there is no violence epidemic. If your child is violent, this is most likely because of genetics, the child’s personality, family violence and neglect, or poverty and the economy, in roughly that order.

Second, contrary to the claims of many anti-game advocates, GTA does not “award points” for antisocial acts. Few video games today “award points” for much of anything, instead offering players a wide range of options, sometimes including antisocial acts. Storytelling is the focus, not points. In GTA antisocial acts are punished via fines, arrest or shooting by in-game police officers. GTA doesn’t stop players from engaging in antisocial acts, yet it doesn’t require them either. If your child is shooting police officers in the game, that’s because your child chose to do so, not because the game required it.

Third, GTA is not designed for kids. It’s an adult-oriented game. Whether you should let your child or teen play such a game is entirely your decision. Consider GTA equivalent to a violent R-rated movie. If your child already has significant problems with violence, you might rethink buying the game. For most kids, the decision is entirely a moral one, not a scientific one. Parents should be comfortable making their own moral decisions. You are already fully empowered to do so and don’t require legislative permission. Read the game ratings, they’re right on the front of the box. An “M” rating is roughly equivalent to an R-rated movie.

Fourth, some research indicates that playing violent video games specifically may improve visual-spatial cognition. These cognitive tasks are used in careers such as engineering, architecture and surgery. For reasons that are poorly understood, violent games appear to increase these abilities, whereas non-violent games do not. Naturally, the violence need not be as brutal as in GTA, and it is probably the fast action and decision-making required in violent games rather than the violence itself that boosts these skills. Nonetheless, this is one facet often left out of the video-game debate.

Fifth, if you decide to buy GTA or other violent games for your kids, play it with them. That’s right, get right in there and learn the game yourself. If you do allow violent video games, this will give you an opportunity to talk with your kids about violence and crime. You can discuss that the behaviors in the game are unacceptable in real life, a message made more credible by your familiarity with youth culture. The best influence you can have on your kids is through time spent with them.

Video games, even violent ones, are as good an opportunity as any.

Christopher J. Ferguson, a licensed psychologist, is an assistant psychology professor at Texas A&M University ( cferguson@tamiu.edu).