This research focuses on low educational ability as a risk factor for aggression and violent
game play. We propose that boys of lower educational ability are more attracted to violent
video games than other boys are, and that they are also higher in trait aggressiveness and
sensation seeking. Participants were Dutch boys in public schools (N ¼ 830, age-range
11–17). In the Netherlands, standardized tests are used to place students into lower,
medium, and higher educational ability groups. Results showed that boys in the lower
educational ability group preferred to play violent, stand-alone games, identified more
with video game characters, and perceived video games to be more realistic than other
boys did. Lower levels of education were also related to higher levels of aggressiveness and
sensation seeking. Higher educational ability boys preferred social, multiplayer games.
Within a risk and resilience model, boys with lower educational ability are at greater risk
for aggression