Thesis: Video gaming and crime

Sample Thesis Paper

In his critical review, Thompson (2002: 67) notes a relationship between video gaming and the assumptions made by the criminal justice system with regard to crime. The assumptions that males are the main perpetrators of crime are based upon a host of theories. To begin with, Thompson (2002: 68) shows that the masculine nature of the males gives them a dominant position in the society and therefore conceives women as victims rather than perpetrators of crime. According to Sherry (2001:25), this assumption is also based on the realization that unlike women, men are more likely to engage in crime as a result of increased involvement in violent video games.

The relationship between violent behaviour and video games has been explicitly explored by different medical and psychological studies in the recent past. In their analysis, (Anderson and Bushman, 2001:354) ascertain that consistent exposure to violence through the media makes the children perceive the same as a viable form of conflict resolution. In most media exposures, Lee (2004: 34) laments that violence is justified and perpetrators are considered very powerful. In fact, they are greatly admired by the gamers. The interactive nature of video gaming provides these children with a chance to practically interact with the violent scenarios. In most cases, the respective child gamers initiate the violence and participate in the same actively (Beasles and Standley, 2002). Persistent exposure to this makes the children assume the character and appreciate that it can be used in conflict resolution. This is further compounded by their urge to identify with the characters that win the game.

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