School Violence Speech Essay

Since Columbine, in which two students carried out one of the most deadly school shootings in history. Video games, TV, and movies have been a sought-after target for acts of violence. After the Columbine shooting, the media thrust the idea that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s tendency for violent video games, not to mention screamo music and somewhat goth subculture, were partly to blame for the terrible day in history.

Often we link school shootings to people who are recluse and spend hours playing violent video games. Most violent video games promote killing, by giving rewards. Evidence supports that this is true, but video games are not the only cause of crazy, illogical shooters walking into an unprotected school setting to kill students and staff. After the intensive investigation of many of the recent school shootings,14 were linked to violent video games including a local one at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. The more violence that our brain becomes accustomed to, the more we think it is acceptable to shoot and kill people. These video games lead to a more dangerous world for all of us.

The number of school shootings by teenagers causes researchers great concern. Researchers wonder if there is a correlation between the increased numbers in young adolescents playing video games containing violence, and the increased numbers of teenage school shootings. Brad Bushman believes there is a correlation between “video game violence and violence” (2013, p. 376) To explore the correlation, one must first understand the definition of aggression. Eden and Eshet-Alkalai use Anderson and Bushman’s (2003) definition: “who define aggression as a behavior that is directed toward another person (either virtually or physically) in a purpose of causing harm” (2014, p. 451). According to Eden and Eshet-Alkalai: “in their study of aggression, Little, Henrich, Jones, and Hawley, (2003) claim that the most common types of aggression among children and adolescents are Extrovert Aggression, in which a child attacks another child, either physically or verbally, and Interpersonal Aggression, in which a child or group of children attempt to harm the relations between other children…” (2014, p. 451). Olson et al. claim that, “For studies to be useful for policy, aggression must be clearly defined and validly measured with a focus on practical (not just statistical) significance” (2009, p. 189). Once the definition of aggression is established, researchers can evaluate the risk factors, exposure to violence in video games, the length of the exposure, and other environmental factors, of

Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong. Advances in technology have allowed games to present state of the art graphics and surreal like qualities to its consumers; from four star simulated battle scenes to enhanced real live fire shoot outs. With all these innovations added to violent video games it attracted the visual needs of our teenage youth. Although video game violence has been blamed for high profile school shootings, video games and its creators should not be held accountable for these tragedies because there is not enough credible evidence to absolutely link video games to outburst of violence amongst juveniles.

Living in a world full of crime and violence, people begin to wonder what the cause of the violence is and how it can then be prevented. Unfortunately, there is not a single root cause that can be found when people attempt to decipher why children are deciding to bring guns to school and murder their peers. Some may believe that it was influenced by being exposed to a hostile family, violent films, or gory video games. Although sometimes this might be the case, a lot of the time it is not as black and white, making this topic very difficult to analyze and understand. Both Jonathan L. Freedman in “Villain or Scapegoat? Media Violence and Aggression” and L Rowell Huesmann and Laramie D. Taylor in “The Role of Media Violence in Violent

School shootings years ago in Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Littleton Colorado, have raised the question time and time again. Do violent video games have an influence on children and their aggressive behavior? In all three of these brutal shootings, all the shooters were students who habitually played violent video games. The Columbine High School students who murdered thirteen and wounded twenty-three in Littleton before committing suicide after the shooting, enjoyed playing Doom, a bloody and violent video game. One of the shooters made a customized version of Doom: two shooters, unlimited ammunition, extra weapons, and victims who couldn’t fight back. This customized version of the game

Lately, it seems that there has been an abundance of horrible mass shootings and brutal violence in our world. In today’s seemingly dangerous world, parents are yearning to protect their children from getting involved in these savage crimes. Now, a great deal of people, especially parents, accuse violent video games as the cause of this growing epidemic. The controversy of video game induced violence has a long history, but it didn’t appear in the spotlight until the disturbing Columbine shooting in 1999, when the gunmen were said to have been addicted to violent video games. Since 1999, there have been more mass shootings and vicious crimes that have been accursed on video games. While siding with the belief that video games create violence

These experimental studies find a strong relationship between playing violent video games and increasing in aggressive thoughts. Also, these studies revealed significant effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, cognition, and on prosocial behavior. This article provides evidence in my argument on how significant exposure to violent video game tends to increase the risk of developing aggressive behavior in real life. Furthermore, children exposed to violent material via the media potentially develop increased attitudes of hostility and show decreased emotional response to violent acts against others.

On more than one occasion when a school shooting happens, one of the first things that is brought to the media’s attention is the type of violent video games the shooter may have played before the catastrophe took place. The idea that games with violence are the reason these incidents keep transpiring is a very popular one. Many people believe that exposure to these types of games cause children to shoot up their local schools, and it is not safe nor healthy for kids to play them. There are many events that can occur in a child’s life in order for them to blossom into a violent school shooter, and playing a violent video game is one of them. Children learn from their surroundings,

It seems that violent video games can not only turn an at-risk child up to a dial on their behaviors but also low-risk children into a school shooter (Mozes 5). Video games have also been put on the radar as to one of the root problems of minors committing violent acts. “If a child began playing violent video games at a young age, then he might think that violence in real life is the same as the game violence and that it doesn’t have a real impact on others” (Gilad 29). While kids play violent video games, they’re not only playing for fun. They are analyzing the which changes their behavior and actions due to thought process for example, “They start to expect people to behave more aggressively toward them, and they tend to see aggressive solutions as being more appropriate for solving problems”(Mozes 5).

The mix has become appallingly predictable: volcanic anger, no one to turn to, and readily available firearms. Result: dead and wounded students, teachers, and faculty at schools in all parts of our nation. Violence in our schools, whether it involves threats, fistfights, knives, or firearms, is unnecessary and intolerable. Children deserve a safe setting to learn in. Teachers and staff deserve a safe place to work in. Communities deserve safe schools that educate kids and help keep neighborhoods safer.

Violent video games are contributing to violent behaviors in the youth and teenagers of America. Youth violence is a seemingly increasing problem in the United States. Juvenile centers are gaining new residents each day.This violence is brought on by an increase in video game violence. Many of the newly developed games are killing simulators which train players for real world violence. There seems to be a lack in evidence against video games. “According to the federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low” (Jenkins 32). So called links between video games and youth violence are said to be found, but these links are coming from people who solely research media violence.

On the other hand, “it seems like after every school shooting that occurs, the media are quick to blame violent video game play for the shooter’s actions. In a 2004 study, the U.S Secret Service found that only 1 in 8 school shooters had an interest in violent video games.” ( Ramirez page 15). Different sources contribute to teen’s aggressive behaviors such as action movies, books etc. Furthermore, “the U.S. military uses video games both to recruit future soldiers and to train new recruits for combat.” (Ramirez page 1). In addition, violent video games are also contributing to the

In today?s world more and more teens are playing video games. Many people think its effecting the way teens behave. There are reports that mature video games are the cause of shootings, but there is much more evidence that entails a different cause. In ?10-Country Comparisons Suggest Little Or No Link Between Video Games And Gun Murders? written by Max Fisher states ?Data suggest a slight downward shift in violence as video game consumption increases?. This suggest that video games have a positive effect on gun violence. School shootings have been blamed on violent video games but there are many other things not included, like they may have been bullied at school or a mental issue. So some of the blame is left not answered for. The amount of video game consumption in America is much like other places in the world that has significantly fewer gun deaths. (Kain, Eric Violent Video Games 2015) According to Kain and Eric,? The number of violent youth offenders in the United States fell by more than half between 1994 and 2010 while video game sales doubled

In an informational article by the contributors of the U.S. Department of Human Health & Human Services, “About School Violence” explains school violence, and gives background on the topic. When most people hear school violence, people will think about guns and school shooters. However in the article, school violence includes fighting, bullying, electronic aggression, gang violence, and weapon use. Also, school violence doesn’t have to be in school, it could be at a school event or it could be at a trip going to a school event. This article was written for people above the age of 10 because these acts of violence start or has the capability to start impacting their lives.