Violent games lead to violent crimes?

Superintendent Bill Harrison, New Zealand's national manager of police youth services, has told a youth offending conference in Wellington that he sees a link between the rise of violent videogames and the increase in the number of young people arrested for violent conduct.

According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, Harrison noticed the link after finding his own son playing a game.

"It was desensitising him to violence. It was shifting his norm about how he would deal with conflict. You see these kids - their hands are wringing wet with sweat because their bodies are taking in what's going on on the screen and they are acting it out."

Harrison also believes that the crime rates in youths aged between 14 and 20 are also rising due because of a greater focus on family violence, which is leading to a greater detection rate.

But he added that the government would be commissioning research into youth violence, which should take in the influence of interactive media.