Games and violence: "No proven scientific link"

Games and violence have never been demonstrably linked, UKIE CEO Dr Jo Twist told VG247 in response to recent comments from an Australian police representative.

“There is no proven scientific link between playing games and violence, or that playing games de-sensitises people to violence. In fact, research has shown that children can very clearly distinguish the difference between violence in games and the types of violence they hear about on the news," Twist told VG247 in a statement.

"Games are enjoyed responsibly by millions of people and our survey shows that 92% of parents recognise the positive impact of games."

Twist's statement was provided in response to a request for comment on NSW Police commissioner Andrew Scipione's linking of games and violence while speaking to Australian press.

The executive officer said the UKIE encourages parents and care-givers to inform themselves about age ratings and content advisories, so they can approach games the way they might any other form of media their children are exposed to.

“Some games deal with adult themes in the same way that films, TV programmes and books do," Twist To make sure that games intended for adults are only played by adults, the PEGI age rating system, which has just become the single legally enforceable age ratings system in the UK and Europe, gives the guidance to retailers and to buyers about which games are appropriate for which audiences. We have also launched askaboutgames.com to give parents and carers all the tips and info they need to help them and their families get the most out of games.”