Playing violent video games causes real-world violence in players.

Is it true that playing violent video games causes real-world violence in players?

Partly. The retrieved studies address aggression and hostility rather than real-world violence: meta-analyses report that violent video games increase aggressive behavior, while other experimental work finds no desensitization to real-world violence and argues aggression does not translate into violent crime. No item settles the claim that playing violent video games causes real-world violence.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 3 sources for, 3 against · Last checked 2 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Experimental study of the differential effects of playing versus watching violent video games on children's aggressive behavior. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20245

Lengersdorff, L. L., Wagner, I. C., Mittmann, G., Sastre-Yagüe, D., Lüttig, A., Olsson, A., Petrovic, P., & Lamm, C. (2023). Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence that violent video games exert no negative effect on human empathy for pain and emotional reactivity to violence. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84951

Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00366

Anderson, C. A. & Bushman, B. J. (2001). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: a meta-analytic review of the scientific literature.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00366

Anderson, C. A., Shibuya, A., Ihori, N., Swing, E. L., Bushman, B. J., Sakamoto, A., Rothstein, H. R., & Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in eastern and western countries: a meta-analytic review.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018251

Batty, S. (2021). A Positive Side of Violent Video Game Play. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.32396/USURJ.V7I1.473

Sauer, J., Drummond, A., & Nova, N. (2015). Violent video games: The effects of narrative context and reward structure on in-game and postgame aggression.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000050