Survey Disputes Ratings on Games
A majority of video games that are rated as suitable for children as young as 6 contain varying degrees of violence, according to a study released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
The survey by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that 64% of games contained intentional violence and 60% rewarded players for hurting or killing other characters.
The vast majority of video games on the market are given ratings by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board in New York, an industry-sponsored organization that uses retired schoolteachers, parents and consumers to evaluate games.
The Harvard study examined 55 games that were assigned an “E” rating, which designates a game suitable for “everyone.” The rating is the equivalent of a “G” rating for films.
“The definition for the ‘E’ rating states that the game ‘may contain minimal violence,’ yet our experience shows that many E-rated games contain a significant amount of ‘minimal violence,’ ” concluded the study’s authors, Kimberly M. Thompson and Kevin Haninger.
Arthur L. Pober, president of the ESRB, disagreed with the study’s definition of violence, saying that the researchers’ “conception of violence is well outside of the American mainstream.”
Pober cited the video game, “Ms. Pac Man,” which the study deemed violent because it involved “eating” animated ghosts.
The study defined violence as acts intended to cause physical injury or death to a personified character. It did not include violence to objects, accidents or use of force in sports games as part of normal play.
“The definition of violence is subjective,” Thompson said. “That makes it more important for parents to take an active role in discussing violence with their children.”
The study was not entirely critical of the ESRB rating system. It found the descriptions accompanying some games are useful in identifying violence, sexual references or potentially offensive language.
The study, however, suggested that ratings themselves may not be consistently applied. One game, “Nuclear Strike 64” for the Nintendo 64 console received an E-rating, while the same game on Sony Corp.’s PlayStation console got a “Teen” rating.
The study is likely to add fodder to the debate raging in Congress over violence in the media and whether it promotes aggressive behavior in children. While no study has conclusively linked actual aggression and video games, lawmakers are increasingly concerned about children’s exposure to portrayal of violence in the media. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), for example, recently reinvigorated his campaign with a bill that would punish companies that market violent content to children under 13.
