Cartwright—I’m not sure that video games directly cause youth violence, but I think it may bring out aggression and exacerbate mental disorders in some people. Youth that go and do something violent already have something wrong with them. They don’t sit and play a video game and then decide to have a sandwich before carjacking someone. Those who do something violent are either influenced by their environments or they have a screw loose somewhere along the line.
I think this does bring up a bigger point that is often overlooked. How do we get help for the youth who are prone to violence due to the environments in which they are raised or due to some mental disorders. Reducing violence in America is a tall task. Kids these days may have to contend with gangs in some cities or broken homes and neighborhoods which can lead to violence. Some kids just need mental counseling or meds to keep them in order. Sadly, in the cases of mental disorder, what recourse do we as citizens have for getting someone help. Teachers or co-workers of troubled youth may observe behaviors or sense something wrong, but they have little recourse to deal with this. They have little options for getting someone help.
I go back to my earlier comments about letting the military run the school system. I think we’d see a precipitous drop in youth violence if the military is running the school system and bringing respect, manners, and structure in the lives of kids and teens.