Although violent video games are thought to encourage real-world violence, they actually help prevent it. I am focusing on violent video games and how they affect minors because I believe this issue needs to be examined in the criminal justice community. It is an unnecessary distraction to attribute the actions of a disturbed young man to a form of entertainment that has been enjoyed by millions of people without incident. A review article published in The Psychiatric Quarterly found that many studies that claim to indicate increased aggression due to video games are, in fact, biased! Once this bias is taken into account, studies no longer find any correlation between young people who play violent video games and young people who demonstrate aggression and violent behavior. (Ferguson, 2014) Some believe that playing violent video games causes a reduction in the brain's response to real-life violence. This is because violent play affects a part of the brain that is hypothesized to cause desensitization. This “desensitization” to violence is therefore thought to predict that those who play these games will later become violent themselves. (Bartholow, Bushman, Sestir, 2006) This is a general assumption based on an affect observed in a part of the brain that has not yet been shown to control “desensitization.” Granted, I'm no scientist, but I find it difficult to make the leap from "proven desensitization" to anticipated future violence. Introduction The debate about violence in the media has been going on for hundreds of years. The most recent form of media analyzed is video games. I will take you through this debate and share with you some things that you may find surprising. This is not a new topic and has... half of the article......c.pdfFerguson, CJ, Olson, CK Video game use among "vulnerable" populations: the impact of violent games on delinquency and Bullying among children with clinically elevated depression or attention deficit symptoms. Journal of Youth and Adolescent, 2014. Olson, C.K., Kutner, L.A., & Warner, D.E. The role of violent video game content in adolescent development: Teens' perspectives. Journal of Adolescent Research, January 2008, pages 55-75.ScienceDaily, “Could Violent Video Games Reduce Rather Than Increase Violence?” 2009Web. April 23, 2015. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514213432.htmSnyder, Howard N. and Sickmund, Melissa. 2006. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: National Report 2006. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Network. April 9, 2015.http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/nr2006/downloads/nr2006.pdf