DALLAS — With every mass shooting comes the mourning but also ultimately the debate over who or what is to blame for them happening in the United States at such a high rate.
In the wake of Uvalde, a familiar culprit was once again receiving partial blame.
Speaking at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Convention in Houston just days after the shooting, Sen. Ted Cruz mentioned video games as part of a decaying culture that breeds mass shooters.
It is not the first time video games have been mentioned in connection to shootings. Former President Donald Trump and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have also pointed the finger at video games following other recent shootings.
THE QUESTION
Is there a connection between violent video game usage and mass shooters?
THE SOURCE
THE ANSWER
There is no strong link between mass shooters and violent video games.
WHAT WE FOUND
Several studies have been conducted on the topic including research by the Department of Education and Oxford University, neither showing a significant crossover between violent video games and shootings. Even a Supreme Court decision included a citation stating no link to violence could be positively drawn to video games.
But the American Psychological Association has a Violent Video Game Task Force that studies the impacts of games on the people who play them. In a 2020 update to a 2015 resolution, the APA said though there is a small association between violent games and aggressive behavior, that behavior does not show any evidence of extending to more violent tendencies.
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