Exposure to violent video games can increase aggression and callous behaviour, psychologists have confirmed.
A review of almost a decade of studies by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that exposure to violent video games was a "risk factor" for increased aggression.
But the APA said there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the influence of games such as Call Of Duty and Grand Theft Auto led to criminal acts.
There should be more parental control over violent scenes in video games, the group of experts said.
A report by the APA said: "The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behaviour, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in pro-social behaviour, empathy and sensitivity to aggression."
But it added that no single influence led a person to act aggressively or violently and instead it was an "accumulation of risk factors" that resulted in such behaviour.
It added: "The research reviewed here demonstrates that violent video game use is one such risk factor."
Dr Mark Appelbaum, who chaired the APA task force, said: "Scientists have investigated the use of violent video games for more than two decades but to date, there is very limited research addressing whether violent video games cause people to commit acts of criminal violence.
"However, the link between violence in video games and increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field."
The task force conducted a comprehensive review of more than 300 violent video game studies published between 2005 and 2013.
Read more:
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-08-17/violent-video-games-increase-aggression-study-finds/
