Although political perceptions of a perfect world vary from individual to individual, most people would agree that a decrease in juvenile crimes of violence would improve and empower our nation. To lessen the occurrence of such misconduct, the source of the socially detrimental brutality must be exposed, analyzed, and prevented. However, often in the search to establish the instigators and catalysts of youth crime, statistically imprecise correlations are created.
As a reoccurring subject of extreme teenage crime, such as school shootings, video games have been suspected as perpetrators of violence. For example: following the tragedy of the Columbine High School shootings in 1999, it was revealed that the two gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, often played violent video games. As a result, video games
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Consequently, another well-visited debate is an individual’s ability to distinguish fantasy from reality. In spite of their limited experiences, children possess the capability to separate imaginative violence from real-life consequences. The development is not precocious; by the age of seven, children are able to discern the social and lawful differences. From exposure to violent entertainment early in their lives through cartoons of cat-and-mouse games and slapstick, such as Looney Toons or Tom and Jerry, children early on understand the endless possibilities in a fictional setting versus the moral and rational limitations in the “real world.” In effect, fantasy is imperative in the mental development of children. According to Fischer-Price toy company: "Pretending is more than play: it's a major part of a child's development. Fantasy not only develops creative thinking, it's also a way for children to deal with situations and problems that concern them.” (Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth