Videogame violence 

High-profile school shooting incidents have been enough to convince most of us of the harmful effects of violent videogames on impressionable young people.

But the researcher community seems to be divided into two quite separate camps: those who reinforce a bleak view of the effect of violent games, and others who tend to emphasise the cultural value of video games.

Dr Gareth Schott at the University of Waikato plans an innovative study that aims to combine these perspectives and let young people themselves answer the question: Why do gamers choose, interact with, and enjoy videogames that include violence?

Dr Schott, with a Fast-Start Marsden grant, will run two game clubs for teenagers over sixteen years of age, so that he can observe gaming behaviour in a natural environment. He’ll also interview players about the role that violent games play in their social lives, as well as talking to advocacy groups about their opposition to violent games.

The Fast-Start programme is a Marsden Fund initiative to give emerging researchers an opportunity to explore an innovative idea, developing their capabilities and helping them establish their research career.

This research will add a new voice, that of young people themselves, to a debate that is far from resolved.

Total Funding:    $140,000 Fast-Start
Researchers:    Dr Gareth Schott, Department of Screen and Media Studies, University of Waikato, Hamilton.