CALL: (888) 972-7736
A therapeutic boarding school may help teens suffering from aggression
By Staff Writer
 According to a study by the Pew Research Center, about 97 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 play computer, portable, console or internet video games. While these can be fun social and academic tools, teens who play the wrong types of games may have behavioral changes. A new study by researchers from the University of Missouri sought to see why playing violent video games may cause teens to become more aggressive. Their results suggest that the brains of the youths who play these types of games are less responsive to violence. This diminished brain response can predict a rise in aggression. The study analyzed 70 teens who were randomly instructed to play either a violent or a nonviolent game for 25 minutes. After playing, researchers measured brain response when the youths looked at neutral and violent photographs. Then, young adults were asked to compete against a peer at a certain task and give their opponent a blast of noise at the volume of their choosing. The loudness of the noise blast was used to measure aggression. Parents who believe that their teen is becoming more aggressive due to violent video game playing may want to consider enrolling him or her in a therapeutic boarding school.
|