Republican leaders debate connection between video games and gun violence

Sunday, while commenting on the recent mass shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick referenced the connection between video games and violence.

“The video games issue, we have got to address in this country,” Patrick said. “Based on all the research we have done, 97%, according to psychologists and psychiatrists of teenagers view video games, and 85% of those video games are violent. And what are these games showing you how to do? Kill people. … The vast majority [of psychologists and psychiatrists] will tell you it leads them to become numb to violence, to have less empathy to their victims and be more aggressive. Does that impact everyone who views them? No, but it obviously is part of the problem.”

President Donald Trump brought up the issue in March after the Florida shooting , raising concerns about the graphic depiction of violence in video games with members of the industry and some of their most vocal critics.

Trump has questioned the impact of video games, although decades of research have failed to find a link between gun violence and graphic depictions of violence in games. Meeting attendees said he sought to hear from all sides.

“He asked a lot of questions and he raised concerns with the violent nature of these games and asked the question: Is this causing the kids to have (this) violent behavior?” said Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo.

The White House put out a statement after the meeting, saying Trump “acknowledged some studies have indicated there is a correlation between video game violence and real violence.” The statement included a link to a YouTube video with clips of video game violence.

While some studies have shown a connection between gaming and emotional arousal, there’s no evidence that this heightened emotional state leads to physical violence.

Video gamers ABC-7 spoke with say they don’t see a connection. Nick Dobard is the owner of Glitch Gaming Center, where gamers compete in video game tournaments.

“During the match they’re at it, they’re focused,” Dobard said. “They want to kill each other’s team. But after, they stand up, they shake each other’s hand. We’re all family at the end of the day.”

However, Dr. Richard Pineda, director of UTEP’s Sam Donaldson Center, says exposure can possibly desensitize players.

“They write it off, and the more they see that they’re less shocked then the things they might encounter in the real world,” Pineda said. “That sort of desensitization leads to two things. Either seeking violence as a solution to problems because they don’t necessarily see consequences, or not realizing violent behavior might actually be taboo.”

But Pineda says the content we see, shouldn’t take all the blame.

“The chances are that there’s a lot of factors that have gone into their desire to pursue some action,” Pineda said. “So video games might be a small portion of that in relation to psychological issues.”