Biden calls for studies on video games, possible links to gun violence

The entertainment and video game industries have come under increased scrutiny following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month and July’s shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. Lawmakers and the National Rifle Association have said violent movies, TV shows and video games are partly to blame for inciting real-world violence.

Biden noted that there’s a lack of studies on video games and possible links to violence. The CDC is prohibited from conducting research on gun violence because of a congressional ban that bars it from using funds on studies that may advocate or promote gun control.

While there’s currently “no hard data” that links violent video games to antisocial behavior in kids, Biden said further research should be conducted on the issue. During the video chat, he cited a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics that found that some children who played multiple hours of video games a day were more prone to aggressive behavior, but he noted that it did not look into whether video games led to violence.

“There is no hard data as to whether or not these excessively violent video games in fact cause people to engage in behavior that is antisocial, including using guns,” he said.

President Obama’s plan for curbing gun violence called for a renewal of the federal assault weapons ban and universal background checks on firearms buyers. Obama also called on Congress to appropriate $10 million for the CDC to study gun violence, including possible links to violent video games and media images.

“Let these people go out and look at the pathology that’s behind this, if there is a pathology related to gun violence,” Biden said. “We shouldn’t be afraid of the facts.”