Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do

Despite the media hype and political posturing, new, federally funded research on violent video games and teenagers indicates that the politicians and even some health professionals may have it all wrong. In 2004, Drs. Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson, co-founders and directors of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health and Media, began a $1.5 million study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice on the effects of video games on young teenagers. In contrast to previous research, they studied real children and families in real situations. What they found surprised, encouraged, and sometimes disturbed them. This link is to an extract of the first chapter of Grand theft childhood?