News & Blog

The recent shooting at Annunciation School in Minneapolis continues to haunt our collective consciousness. While the news cycle moves forward—with yet more senseless acts of political violence—the Annunication tragedy leaves deep scars and pressing questions for our religious community: How does a young person educated in a Catholic school become capable of such violence? There are no simple answers. Research consistently links exposure to media violence—including video games, television, movies, and music—with increased aggression in youth. Violent video games, in which killing is winning, is one of many influences on the behavior of youth today. While violent video games alone do not cause violence, when combined with depression, isolation, or family dysfunction, they can become catalysts for aggression. Some scholars...