BFIS GAZETTE issue 1 | Page 39

Furthermore, In Tennessee two teenage boys shot at a passing car killing the driver. They later told the police that they got the idea from the game Grand Theft Auto III. However, violence in video games can help kids relieve stress. A peer-reviewed study published by the Journal of Adolescent Health found that instead of repeating the violence in video games, it helps kids manage their emotions. It said "61.9% of boys played to 'help me relax,' 47.8% because 'it helps me forget my problems,' and 45.4% because 'it helps me get my anger out." A large proportion of video games like the Grand Theft Auto series portray the sexualisation of woman and violence toward women. If young boy see this and acts it out in the games, it can desensitize it in real life. According to a 2012 peer-reviewed study by the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, games that sexually objectify women increase rape supportive attitude. Also, in 2014, Target Australia stopped selling GTA V due to many customers’ complaints about the depiction and objectification of women in the game. This includes the option to kill a prostitute to get your money back. However, players of these video games have common sense. The average gamers’ age is 35. These are grown men and woman that have common sense and know not to do these things in real life. Another reason is that the American Psychological Association (APA) listed violent video games as a risk factor for aggressive behaviour. In its resolution on violent video games in August 2015 the APA wrote "WHEREAS many factors are known to be risk factors for increased aggressive behaviour, aggressive cognition and aggressive affect, and reduced prosocial behaviour, empathy and moral engagement, and violent video game use is one such risk factor." Many of these studies though, are flawed in the ways they collect their data. Many studies don’t take into account many things when measuring violence. These include family history, mental health, and much more. The studies also don’t follow the children for long periods of time. Exposure to violent video games has shown to decrease