Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do is a book by Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson. Along with psychiatrist Eugene V. Beresin, Kutner and Olson are co-directors of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health and Media, a division of the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Background The book was based in part on original research funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice to the Center for Mental Health and Media. The book's title is a play on the Grand Theft Auto series, a video game series that has attracted a great deal of controversy. In contrast to previous studies that focused on potential harmful effects of violent video game play and links to real-life violence, Kutner and Olson take a more nuanced view of how video games influence young teens. The authors found previous research (including experimental studies on college students) of little help to parents, teachers, pediatricians or policymakers concerned about potential risks from video game play. They also suggest that potential benefits of video games (including some games with violent content) has not received enough attention. Their program of research included a school-based survey of 1,254 children in grades 7 and 8, a survey of 500 of their parents, and focus groups with adolescent boys and their parents. Kutner and Olson first looked at what behaviors are normal for young adolescents today, including what games they play, where, how much, with whom, and why. They then looked for patterns of play associated with a higher risk of everyday problems of concern to parents. Because it is not possible to show cause and effect with a one-time survey, the authors focused on identifying "markers" of increased risk for problems. The authors described their findings as both "encouraging, and at times disturbing". As they reviewed their data as well as reports by other researchers, they concluded that "parents, politicians, researchers and child advocates probably worry too much about the wrong things, and too little about more subtle issues and complex effects that are much more likely to affect our children" (page 18). In an interview, Olson explained why they chose to write a popular book in addition to their academic publications: "We felt it was important to give intelligent people who haven't been involved in research a chance to see how media violence studies are planned, carried out and interpreted so they could judge for themselves what makes sense. We also wanted to share insightful comments made by teens about the role of video games in their lives, and the specifics of parents' concerns."
Summary of book contents Chapter 1 looks at fears and myths about violent video games (including their purported role in school shootings) and introduces the research. Chapter 2 puts concerns about video game violence into context with panics over effects of earlier media (including paperback novels, gangster films and comic books). Chapter 3 explains how media violence research is actually carried out, and why various experts strongly disagree on its effects. Chapter 4 describes the results of the authors' research, including what games 13-year-olds play, and correlations between certain game play patterns and aggressive behavior or school problems. Chapter 5 reviews research on what attracts children to violent video games. Chapter 6 goes beyond the issue of game violence to examine sexual content in games, web-based games by hate groups, "advergames", and game addiction concerns. Chapter 7 looks at game rating systems around the world, and what parents want from a rating system. Chapter 8 looks at the politics of video games and the motivations behind and failure of efforts to regulate games. Chapter 9 reviews parent concerns and provides specific advice on minimizing harm and maximizing benefits from children's video game play.
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