Studies show no consistent link between gaming and aggression

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate investigation into the Tacloban City school shooting has reignited debate, especially online, over whether video games contribute to aggressive or violent behavior.

But a review of existing scientific literature suggests the evidence remains inconclusive.

READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban

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Dr. Alicor Panao, Inquirer data scientist, conducted a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed studies using gaming- and violence-related search terms, while excluding research focused on therapy, treatment, intervention, rehabilitation, and economic or business contexts.

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Panao said that in studies involving action and combat games, 68.16 percent found no evidence of a link between gaming and aggression, while 18.51 percent indicated a direct association.

Some 13.33 percent attributed effects to other factors, such as age, preexisting mental health conditions, exposure to family conflict or instability, peer bullying or social rejection, and broader socioeconomic stress.

A similar pattern emerged in studies that examined overall screen time and mixed forms of gaming, with 69.31 percent finding no evidence of a relationship and 16.33 percent indicating a direct association.

Research on social and cooperative games also showed that 70.57 percent of studies found no link between gaming and aggression, compared with 14.23 percent that suggested a direct connection.

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Likewise, studies involving immersive and virtual reality games found no evidence of a relationship in 73.47 percent of cases, while only 10.61 percent reported a direct association.

The strongest consensus appeared in studies on simulation, strategy, and sandbox games, where 80.41 percent found no meaningful relationship between gaming and aggression, compared with 12.65 percent that reported a direct link.

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“Across game types, most studies find no meaningful relationship between gaming and aggression,” said Panao, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines.

“Where associations or links do appear, they seem to be due to underlying personal or social conditions than the games themselves,” he said.

READ: Senate probe sees ‘extremist’ influence in Tacloban campus slays

Last week, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality called out the operations of an online extremist group that it suspected of influencing the June 22 school violence that killed three students and wounded 20 others.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the committee, said there were indications that the shooting may have been influenced by “764,” an “online nihilistic violent extremist” group that infiltrates popular gaming platforms to brainwash vulnerable minors.

The Psychological Association of the Philippines said “school violence is a complex issue that cannot be explained by any single factor.”

READ: Group: Preventing school violence begins long before attacks happen

The group said psychological science shows that serious acts of violence among children and adolescents rarely arise from a single cause.

“They emerge through interactions among developmental, relational, social, community, digital, cultural, and societal influences,” PAP said.

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PAP also called for “compassion and restraint against speculation” and emphasized the need for timely, developmentally appropriate psychosocial support for affected students, families, school personnel, first responders and communities. /dm