The task force, which began meeting in November 2007 and took testimony from household names on this subject, discourages any laws "similar to those that have been invalidated by the federal courts." Instead, it recommends the legsilature fund a program to educate consumers about video game issues, and additional research into the effects games have on young people.

Representatives from the Entertainment Software Association, Motion Picture Association of America, and Recording Industry Association of America testified or participated in the group's work. Others included the Entertainment Software Ratings Board's Patricia Vance; Cheryl Olson and Lawrence Kutner, who wrote "Grand Theft Childhood,"; and social scientist Dr. Patrick Markey of Villanova University.

"Although there were disagreements at times, I think the members of the task force worked together extremely well and came to a fairly 'common sense' conclusion," Markey said,

GamePolitics reported this news yesterday; it has a link to the task force's full 69-page report.

Pennsylvania Task Force Says No to Video Game Legislation [GamePolitics]

That said, Toronto's National Post has a story up this weekend that does a good job at knocking this down from a sensational video game controversy story to what it really is — a disturbed kid gone missing and terrifying his parents. The lead to the story:

Blaming video games for the woes of teens such as Brandon Crisp, who disappeared after his parents confiscated his Xbox, might be missing a bigger point, child psychologists warn. Obsessive behaviour in any form, combined with sudden shifts in habits, could indicate deeper, emotional turmoil that often eludes many parents.

The reporters, Craig Offman and Natalie Alcoba, then seek out Harvard psychologist Dr. Lawrence Kutner, whose book Grand Theft Childhood had a provocative title but really gave an evenhanded, well researched look at child behavior and video games.

Dr. Kutner said the overwhelming majority of children who play video games do not suffer any psychological damage. If anything, he added, the consoles provide an effective means to be burn off excess adolescent energy and anxiety.

"In essence, it's a way of self-medicating," he said. "Kids play for a variety of reasons: for the fun of it, for the challenge. Or they play for emotional regulation. They can get their anger out."

Of course, "self-medicating" is the watchword. One can self-medicate with alcohol, pot, or other behaviors. It doesn't completely exempt gaming; it remains associated. But it's interesting to see a newspaper of record and an authoritative source combining to back this story away from hysteria.

Teens' Video Game Habits Part of Larger Issue: Experts [National Post]

Of course, any position either overtly against or in defense of gaming is likely to be controversial right now, and GamePolitics has been documenting the argument between University of Michigan professor Brad Bushman and the book's authors. Bushman published an article in the Detroit Free Press essentially disputing Kutner and Olson's findings:

Violent video games are not the only risk factor for aggression, or even the most important factor, but they are definitely not a trivial factor. Parents should carefully monitor what video games their children play this summer, instead of being lulled into a false sense of security about the effects these games can have now and well into the future.

Bushman also criticizes the authors' methods as well as their study findings, prompting Kutner and Olson to respond in comments to GamePolitics:

Dr. Bushman’s statement that video games directly reward violence is only partly accurate; anyone who actually plays video games knows that players are not always rewarded for acting violently, and in fact are often penalized immediately or later on (even in parts of Grand Theft Auto IV). The content and consequences in video games are extremely varied, which is one reason that studying their influence is so difficult.

Finally, regarding his experimental study of Dutch teenagers playing a game for 20 minutes in a lab: Those teens are fully aware that no researcher will allow them to act in a way that causes permanent physical harm to someone. Dr. Bushman may be a bit too credulous – a view that is supported by a quote from that Surgeon General’s report.

It's interesting to hear both sides of the argument, and heartening to hear that the authors are willing to publicly defend their findings even though they're controversial.

Grand Theft Childhood Authors Respond to U of Michigan Prof's Criticism [GamePolitics]
Grand theft summer vacation [Detroit Free Press, via GamePolitics]

The book Grand Theft Childhood got a good bit of attention upon its release, and the authors are back discussing reactions to the book, as well as issues that have cropped up (again) in the wake of GT IV. On the media frenzy, they have this to say:

This is strikingly similar to the concerns over and editorials against comic books, radio, gangster films and—back in the late 19th century—the evil influence of paperback novels on teenage girls. None of those bore out. Each time, the pundits and politicians said that earlier concerns may have been silly, but that this time it’s different. So far it hasn’t been.

It's repeated frequently, but probably worth repeating once more — everything from Hollywood films to Chinese classics like Peony Pavilion have been labeled as 'dangerous' at some point or another (with ferocity equal to or surpassing video game critics' utterances). Anyway, it's an interesting interview touching on a number of issues.

Grand Theft Childhood Author Weighs in on GTA IV [Open Education via GameSetWatch]

Thanks Ryan for the tip!

The book is due out next month, but there's lots of information floating around out there on the new study. The articles are quite lengthy all told, but worth browsing if you're interested in the subject.

Shoot-em Up Video Games - The Cause of Greater Anti-social Behaviors in Teens?; Author Reveals "The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games"; Experts State: Do Not Banish - Instead, Manage Violent Video Game Play [Open Education]