Citation

Exelmans L, Custers K, Van den Bulck J. Aggressive Behav. 2015; 41(3): 267-279.

Affiliation

Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ab.21587

PMID

25732796

Abstract

Over the years, criminological research has identified a number of risk factors that contribute to the development of aggressive and delinquent behavior. Although studies have identified media violence in general and violent video gaming in particular as significant predictors of aggressive behavior, exposure to violent video games has been largely omitted from the risk factor literature on delinquent behavior. This cross-sectional study therefore investigates the relationship between violent video game play and adolescents' delinquent behavior using a risk factor approach. An online survey was completed by 3,372 Flemish adolescents, aged 12-18 years old. Data were analyzed by means of negative binomial regression modelling.

RESULTS indicated a significant contribution of violent video games in delinquent behavior over and beyond multiple known risk variables (peer delinquency, sensation seeking, prior victimization, and alienation). Moreover, the final model that incorporated the gaming genres proved to be significantly better than the model without the gaming genres.

RESULTS provided support for a cumulative and multiplicative risk model for delinquent behavior. Aggr. Behav. 9999:XX-XX, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en