Grade school children with less relative exposure to violent media and video games are less aggressive toward their peers, according to the findings of a Stanford medical school study, which appear in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Although previous studies have linked aggressive behavior in children with exposure to violent content, this latest Stanford University study is the first to conclude that reduced exposure can help those same children lose their aggressive tendencies.

　　The research project studied 192 third- and fourth-grade children from similar academic and social demographics. The six-month-long study isolated two groups of students - one where the students received lessons from their regular teachers aimed at curbing their exposure to violent media and one where the students received no such intervention. The study concluded that at the end of the six months the children that had the intervention curriculum implemented had reduced their exposure to violent media by one-third and reduced the level of aggression toward their classmates by 25 percent.

　　"It's not that once children learn aggressive behavior it becomes their only way of solving problems," said Tom Robinson, MD, MPH, and assistant professor of pediatrics and medicine. "But what's encouraging is that, in children, some of the effects of exposure to media violence can be reversed solely by decreasing that exposure."

　　The researchers are currently conducting a broader, more long-term study of 12 Bay Area schools to further understand the correlation between exposure to violent media and aggressive behavior in children. Several prior studies linking violent media to aggressive behavior have piqued the attention of the International Game Developers Association and other advocacy groups in the gaming industry. The organization recently held a summit to discuss violence in games and to get feedback from various developers on the issue. The underlying message delivered at the conference was that the industry needs to bring greater awareness of the Entertainment Software Rating Board's rating system. The organization additionally plans to work closer with the Interactive Digital Software Association to give recommendations on individual game ratings to help further target specific game content to the appropriate consumer audience.

　　Do violent video games and other violent media contribute to aggressive behavioral tendencies in adolescents? Tell us what you think by posting your opinions in Talkback below.