Essay samples08 January 2020

Argumentative Video Games Essay About Child Aggression

Violent behavior in children is most often associated with video games. However, most people do not know that violence is not only dependent on the exposure to graphic content in video games, but rather numerous factors affect a child’s perspective on violence.

These factors may be inherent in the child, such as psychiatric conditions or medical issues, and factors can also be external, such as the experiences of the child or life circumstances. Parents and guardians must look closely at these factors so that children will be less susceptible to present and future aggressive behaviors.

Some of the psychiatric conditions that a child may go through are mood disorders, psychosis, and impassivity (Silva). One of the most common mood disorders is bipolar disorder. Kids who have this kind of disorder will often show aggressive behavior, especially when they are in manic stages. On the other end, when they are in their depressed stage, there is a tendency that they are more irritable, and when they reach a point when they cannot take it anymore, they may lash out their anger towards objects or people. Schizophrenia is one of the examples of illnesses associated with psychosis. Children with this kind of illness, when responding to internal stimuli, often become mistrustful and suspicious, or they can have full-blown paranoia and end up being aggressive (Silva). Impulsivity is mostly associated with children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They do not have the capacity to make proper decisions on their own, and more often than not, their decisions are associated with aggressive actions.

Life experiences and circumstances also affect a child’s tendency to manifest aggressive behavior and violence. Watson et al. found in their study that harsh physical punishment in the family and peer victimization are factors that affect a child’s aggressive behavior (2). Often children will have their first-hand experience of violence at home. Parents who display violent behavior against another family member or to the child himself or herself may make the child desensitized to violence. The child would think that it is a normal phenomenon and he or she might manifest such behavior. On the other hand, peer victimization can also make a child more violent. Being exposed to playmates and peers who display aggressive behavior can also affect the mindset of the child regarding violence. He or she may be a victim of such aggressive behavior, and in turn, manifest the same to his or her peers.

Video games should not be blamed for all the violent behaviors of children. Parents and future parents should look deeper into the other factors that may cause aggressive behavior among their children. It is important to take precautions and also to know remedies when the child starts to display violence. Having knowledge of precautions and remedies on preventing and mitigating aggressive behavior is as important as giving the child his or her basic needs.

Works Cited

Silva, Raul. “What Are Some of the Causes of Aggression in Children?” Child Mind Institute, 24 Feb. 2016, childmind.org/article/aggression-in-children-causes/.
Watson, Malcolm W., et al. “Pathways to Aggression in Children and Adolescents.” Harvard Educational Review, vol. 74, no. 4, Dec. 2004, pp. 2-37,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254914895_Pathways_to_Aggression _in_Children_and_Adolescents.
“What Leads Children to Become Aggressive and Violent?” The People’s Law Library of Maryland, Maryland State Law Library, 22 July 2010,
www.peoples-law.org/what-leads-children-become-aggressive-and-violent.

Adults tend to blame video games as being the main cause of child aggression. However, there are numerous factors that might encourage violent behavior in children. In the video games essay above, the author has described other possible reasons for child aggression, such as mood disorders, psychosis, impassivity, physical punishment, etc. If you’re interested in child psychology, we hope that this sample has given you ideas for your own writing on this topic.

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