There is a lot of finger-pointing going on these days. Whenever a child or teenager makes a bad decision, there must be a reason, some sort of bad influence that led them astray. One of the biggest villains currently is violent video games. What effects, if any, do violent video games have on kids?
Obviously, violent video games are not meant for young children. Children who are just learning how to play and share are negatively affected by seeing violence because they soak up everything around them and interpret it as "normal". A young child who sees violence on a regular basis thinks that violence is the proper way to deal with conflict, and you may very well see young children who are permitted to play violent games using violence in the schoolyard, or doing violent things in emulation of what they see. The gore that often accompanies these games can also cause nightmares and fears in young children.
Video games in North America have a rating system, and games rated "teen" or "mature" are not designed to be played by 5 and 6 year olds, nor were they meant to be played by older people with 5 and 6 year olds in the room. These games often contain foul language, as well, and young children do tend to repeat everything. But do the violent video games have negative effects on the age groups they were intended for, that is, older children and teenagers?
For children who already have a well-developed sense of right and wrong and who understand well the difference between fact and fiction, fantasy and reality, such games have little or no negative effect. Most adults can watch violent movies or play violent games without emulating them, and the same is true of children once they have grasped the difference between what they see on the screen and real life. If your child still wants to "be a Power Ranger" then he/she has likely not grasped that difference well enough to be exposed to on-screen violence. Many older children, and certainly teenagers, understand those concepts firmly and use violent games as a way to deliberately engage in fantasy and "blow off steam."
Studies have shown that viewing violent material does not increase violent behaviour in the average person. Violent games may, in fact, serve as a catharsis, letting tweens and teens work through some of their hormonal mood swings. In people who already have violent tendencies, however, viewing such material may increase violent behaviour. Such people often have a looser grip on reality; not understanding that other people feel pain, for instance, and playing violent games may fuel their fantasies to the point that they act on them. So if you have seen signs of violence in your child (bullying, torturing animals) then you will definitely want to put an end to the violent gaming (as well as call a psychiatrist.)
In healthy older children and teenagers, the occasional violent video game does no harm. Of course, as with everything else, play should be in moderation.