Rockefeller wants to study any links between media and violent acts in children. Senator: Study video-game violence

In the wake of the Newtown shootings, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller introduced a bill Tuesday that would have the National Academy of Sciences examine any link between violent video games and media, and violent acts by children, industry sources say.

According to a copy of the “ discussion draft” obtained by POLITICO, the legislation directs the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to make “appropriate arrangements” with the NAS to enable the study.


“Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it,” Rockefeller said in a statement. “They believe that violent video games are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons. Parents, pediatricians and psychologists know better. These court decisions show we need to do more and explore ways Congress can lay additional groundwork on this issue. This report will be a critical resource in this process. I call on my colleagues to join me in passing this important legislation quickly.”

In particular, the draft bill wants the NAS to explore “whether current or emerging characteristics of video games have a unique impact on children, considering in particular video games’ interactive nature and the extraordinarily personal and vivid way violence might be portrayed in such video games.”

There have been reports that Adam Lanza obsessively played “Call of Duty” and “Starcraft” before he went on a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last Friday.

Other “violent programming” is also targeted in the legislation, which aims to find out if the programming “causes children to act aggressively or causes other measurable cognitive harm to children.”

Rockefeller said he will call on the FTC and FCC to expand their work on video game regulation. “The FTC has reviewed the effectiveness of the video game ratings system. The FCC has looked at the impact of violent programming on children. Changes in technology now allow kids to access violent content online with less parental involvement,” he said. “It is time for these two agencies to take a fresh look at these issues.”

The lawmaker also pointed out that responsibility rests with the entertainment industry. “Major corporations, including the video game industry, make billions on marketing and selling violent content to children. They have a responsibility to protect our children,” he said. “If they do not, you can count on the Congress to take a more aggressive role.”

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 7:56 a.m. on December 19, 2012.