Over the past decade there have been several studies conducted regarding the link between aggression in one's behavior and the amount of time spent playing violent video games. This was an intense topic of debate after the Columbine Massacre. It seems that the data resulting from these studies has mostly been mixed depending on who is conducting the research and the different factors that have been taken into consideration during the study. But what can one really prove looking at the raw numbers available to the common person?
Before we start we must be clear that when we refer to gun violence it is specifically meant as homicides committed with a firearm. This does not include forced rape, armed robbery, etc. Secondly, the numbers presented in this article are not very in well research and are not to be taken as decisive research in an academic arena.
If the allegation is true, that the increased consumption and time spent playing violent video games in America is a leading cause for the reason why the country has such a (relatively) high level of gun violence in this country, then it is logical that one should be able to compare America to the next highest consumer of violent video games (Europe) and see similar murder-by-firearm rates there as well.
We are using the year 2009 because it is the most recent year where detailed homicide data is available for most countries in Europe. In order to conduct this research we decided on six best selling violent video games of 2009 including Killzone 2, Halo 3, Left 4 Dead 2, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: World at War, and Assassin's Creed.
The total number of units sold for all six games in 2009 in the USA was 18,151,386. In Europe the total was much lower at 10,108,855. In that same year the average rate of homicides by gun per one hundred thousand residents in the USA was 3.3. Averaging together all the countries in Europe that data was available for in 2009, the number comes out to 0.8 shooting deaths per one hundred thousand residents. Much lower than the US's 3.3.
If there is a strong connection between gun violence and video game violence we should be able to look at the number of violent video game sales in Europe, multiply it by a standard factor to make it exactly equal to the number of sales in the U.S. and then similarly multiply homicide rates in Europe by the same standard and be able to see that they are equal. In other words, since America's sales numbers of violent video games is about double the number of Europe's, one should also see that America's gun violence statistics are also about double that of Europe's.
But as can be inferred from the numbers stated earlier, this is not the case. In 2009, USA's violent video game consumption was 1.8 times that of Europe but the homicide by gun rate was a whopping 4.2 times greater than Europe's. Quite a large discrepancy. The USA's inclination toward actual gun violence is much greater than the high consumption and attraction to video game violence when compared to Europe.
To conclude, this non-academic case-based evidence shows that there is no correlation between video game violence and real-world gun violence and it should not be considered as a viable gun policy when discussing gun control.
Before we start we must be clear that when we refer to gun violence it is specifically meant as homicides committed with a firearm. This does not include forced rape, armed robbery, etc. Secondly, the numbers presented in this article are not very in well research and are not to be taken as decisive research in an academic arena.
If the allegation is true, that the increased consumption and time spent playing violent video games in America is a leading cause for the reason why the country has such a (relatively) high level of gun violence in this country, then it is logical that one should be able to compare America to the next highest consumer of violent video games (Europe) and see similar murder-by-firearm rates there as well.
We are using the year 2009 because it is the most recent year where detailed homicide data is available for most countries in Europe. In order to conduct this research we decided on six best selling violent video games of 2009 including Killzone 2, Halo 3, Left 4 Dead 2, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: World at War, and Assassin's Creed.
The total number of units sold for all six games in 2009 in the USA was 18,151,386. In Europe the total was much lower at 10,108,855. In that same year the average rate of homicides by gun per one hundred thousand residents in the USA was 3.3. Averaging together all the countries in Europe that data was available for in 2009, the number comes out to 0.8 shooting deaths per one hundred thousand residents. Much lower than the US's 3.3.
If there is a strong connection between gun violence and video game violence we should be able to look at the number of violent video game sales in Europe, multiply it by a standard factor to make it exactly equal to the number of sales in the U.S. and then similarly multiply homicide rates in Europe by the same standard and be able to see that they are equal. In other words, since America's sales numbers of violent video games is about double the number of Europe's, one should also see that America's gun violence statistics are also about double that of Europe's.
But as can be inferred from the numbers stated earlier, this is not the case. In 2009, USA's violent video game consumption was 1.8 times that of Europe but the homicide by gun rate was a whopping 4.2 times greater than Europe's. Quite a large discrepancy. The USA's inclination toward actual gun violence is much greater than the high consumption and attraction to video game violence when compared to Europe.
To conclude, this non-academic case-based evidence shows that there is no correlation between video game violence and real-world gun violence and it should not be considered as a viable gun policy when discussing gun control.
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Learn more about gun statistics and how to think logically about gun control in our society.
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