Contrary to public perceptions, video games play a role in the lives of adults as well as
children and adolescents. According to Nielson Media Research, at least 45 million households
in the United States have at least one video game console (3). The average age of video game
players has increased to age 34 (4), and about 60% of Americans play interactive games on a
regular basis (2). However, researchers suspect that younger children are more susceptible to
the negative effects of playing violent video games compared to older teenagers and adults (5).
Furthermore, games that include violence have raised serious concerns among parents,
educators, medical professionals, and policy makers about their potentially harmful effects on
abnormal child development and behavior