Violent Video Games and Increased Criminality Among Adolescents: An Introspection

International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 191 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 Violent Video Games and Increased Criminality Among Adolescents: An Introspection 1Arun R S & 2Dr. Uthara Soman 1Research Scholar, Loyola College of Social Sciences 2Assistant Professor of Sociology and Research Officer, Kerala State Higher Education Council. ABSTRACT Recently, electronic games, home computers, and the Internet have assumed an important place in our lives. The steep increase in reliance on computers for education during the COVID pandemic has made most adolescents vulnerable to other threats in virtual media. One of the dangers present in virtual media is online violent video games, as noted by M. Saravanan (2018). Adolescents typically use this genre of video games without any oversight. The lack of a rating system according to age, readily availability, and ease of purchase in the virtual space has made it easier for adolescents to gain access to these kinds of violent video games. Other reasons include the computer illiteracy of parents, who are unable to understand the side effects of these games. The high usage of violent video games, along with various other factors, has made adolescents highly aggressive (Sharma, Marimuthu 2011). Gender, along with age, economic status, and high screen time, is a significant factor that increases aggression among players, who are primarily adolescents (Sudha R 2012). Unquestionably, increased video gaming has led to changes in the adolescent age group's perception of reality and violent behavior. This paper attempts to understand more about the rise in aggression among adolescents due to video gaming and its undeniable effects on their psyche. This paper studies the inadequacies of our national and international legal system in handling online gaming crimes. We also discuss rational strategies to address the widespread use of violent video games, which fuel adolescent aggression and online addiction. Keywords: Gaming addiction, adolescent aggression, alienation, differential association theory. International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 192 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 Introduction The later stages of the 20th century saw a rise in the human usage of computers for communication, management, research, drawing, and design, as well as entertainment. Computers received an upgrade through internet connectivity, a global phenomenon, helping people work more effectively and efficiently in every job sector (J. Naughton 2016). The Internet, which is the transfer of data or information through computers, initiated interoperability among different sectors. The telecommunication sector is an example of a field that combines both internet and traditional telecommunication technologies. The computer-mediated communication in human interactions has led to the emergence of social media sites and applications, which are growing at an extraordinary pace. Now standing on the verge of 6G technology, it can be said that computers, along with the internet, have helped us to procure information at our fingertips and helped in communicating with people in a better way. This digitalization of communication has made the world one big village, so much so that people have given into the ways of computers, and it’s a fact that human life has kind of redefined itself. The communication that is done through the digital medium is called digital communication, and any person who has a digital device, be it a phone or a computer, that has an internet connection can log in to the digital virtual world anytime. We have made significant progress since the days of using emails for private direct messaging. Ironically, apps designed to enhance communication have inadvertently led to a decrease in face-to-face interaction. More people want to connect only through online media, and they are hesitant to connect with others in real life. Studies indicate that there is a significant decline in people's communication skills (Brown 2013). The number of face-to-face interactions is not the only thing that has been negatively impacted; the quality of these abysmal residual interactions is suffering as well. Computer applications, like Facebook, Instagram, etc., help people connect, and we can create a virtual identity in the virtual world by just filling out our basic details. But the problem is that people will have trouble integrating social media's communication styles into everyday language. Using those kinds of words and phrases lowers people's social skills because they struggle to convey their needs without resorting to colloquial speech that may not be found in a reputable International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 193 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 dictionary. It leads people to try and shoehorn our colloquial metaphors into daily conversations and use the slang terms that social media has helped develop, form, and popularize in the mainstream media. Such behavior has shaped a society that is no longer functioning healthily in social situations (Drussel 2012). But it is highly unlikely that computerization is just a passing fad. Computers are a competitive asset to any sector, ensuring the longevity of this phase. Computers increase the efficiency and precision of work in various sectors, including businesses, education, health care, and public administration. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the online usage of computers, as these devices did not require any physical transactions for conducting business from home. The unprecedented scenario led people to adopt work-from-home options for professionals and online classes for students. The extra leisure time received, thus, pushed people to play more video games. People who were exposed to a world with unrestrained gaming options eventually got more exposed to violent video games as well (43). This genre of games has an inherent tendency to make them more prone to aggression (Karen E. Dill, 2000). The lack of physical games and the restrictive social environment during COVID may lead individuals to become more aggressive and ultimately engage in violent behavior. The online gaming sector is a new industry that is booming right now. The Indian gaming market is valued at around $3.1 billion and is estimated to reach $8.92 billion in five years. The gaming market in India grew 23% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) by revenue to $3.8 billion in the financial year 2023-24. Along with this increase, there has also been a rise in hackers, fraudsters, and cybercriminals, which has led to an increase in online scams, identity thefts, and account breaches. Last year alone, there was a 32% increase in gaming-related cybersecurity attacks. The legal system, which has followed the wait-and-watch method in implementing new cyber laws, finds it extremely difficult to obtain convictions in crimes conducted online, mainly because of their international nature. Objectives In this context, this paper will investigate the relationship between online gaming and the rise in criminal activity. If this increasing aggression is indeed a reality, we must take appropriate International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 194 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 measures to mitigate its impact on society. The legal options for addressing this issue must be examined in both Indian and international contexts, and solutions must be proposed. We must address the social and political measures necessary to alleviate this issue in the public sphere. Methodology The paper is a deliberate effort to find out how computers and their rising use have increased the crime rate in online gaming and how the legal department is lagging behind. We further study the necessary theoretical perspectives to gain a more thorough understanding of this pressing issue. Researchers placed high importance on gender differences in the expression of anger, various genres of video games, and the effects of increased screen time to better understand how people behave in virtual media. This study exclusively used data from secondary sources, including books, journals, and online research publications. Theoretical Framework Alienation is the sense of self-estrangement as a human being, and it is a psychological experience perceived by individuals under a specific social structure (Park, 1996). Karl Marx introduced alienation, which he saw as the status of the proletariat, or laborer. Alienation can be defined as a process in which the user becomes highly disillusioned by the system. Here, the adolescents who are using computers to play highly violent games become disillusioned because of the large-scale consumption of video games. Bandura (1985) found that humans, who are social animals, naturally gravitate toward observational learning. For example, children may watch their family members and mimic their behaviors. In observational learning, people learn by watching others and then imitating, or modeling, what they do or say. Thus, the individuals or objects performing the imitated behavior are called models (Bandura, 1985). Here, people are increasingly learning from hybrid education, and subsequent exposure to violent video games develops a tendency among adolescents to International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 195 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 become more aggressive, which tends to have a long-lasting effect on people, especially children. Members of the group understand social norms as the rules and standards that guide and constrain social behavior without the need for legal force. (Cialdini and Frost, 1998). Deviant behavior is the action that violates social norms, both formal and informal social rules. There can be a plethora of theories that suggest deviant behavior. Edwin P. Sutherland (2010) suggests that individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior through interactions with others, as part of his differential association theory, a postmodernist take on criminality. He suggests that the idea of self, as a social construct and a person's behavior, assumes changes with every social interaction. This perspective is particularly in sync with the relationship between violent video games and the criminal attitude of adolescents. The violent actions that an adolescent regularly encounters in violent video games create an impression in their mind that the criminal attitudes depicted in these games are socially acceptable. The lack of socialization and increased screen time in violent video games decreases the user's mental health, which inadvertently leads them to a life of crime later on without inhibitions. Gaming Industry Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that require interaction with a user interface, such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion-sensing device, to produce visual feedback. There are many types of video games, like text adventure games, chess, etc. Physical games are also finding their way into gaming using haptic technology. The first video game prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s, which were bulky, gave way to the arcade video games like Computer Space (1971), which was followed by the iconic Pong (1972). In 2000, the core gaming industry focused on AAA Games, a classification indicating that these games are highbudget and high-profile, produced and distributed by large, well-known publishers; this focus, combined with increased internet usage, facilitated video game development. Mobile phones, which became very common, also brought an upsurge to the gaming sector. These developments led to the growth of the gaming industry and the rise of gaming giants like Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Tencent, etc. As of now, the gaming market is estimated to be around 195.65 billion International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 196 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 US dollars, which is three times the size of the global music industry and four times the size of the global film industry. (Grand View Research, 2020) “Only with ideas can we reach the truth” [Plato, Stanford 2015]. It’s not the information that matters, but the core idea of the whole issue. This concept is the running principle of Big Data Analysis. Since this industry is highly profitable, it utilizes big data analysis to enhance the gaming experience. The feedback will be studied to improve the gaming experience and the games' appearance. As games are a mix of reality and fantasy, they will lead us to a place that will make us question our reality. The research and development that have been put into the games, along with the computer sector, have made the experience of video gaming much better. The virtuality of the games is becoming very close to reality, with real-life scenarios being transplanted into video games using applications like 3ds Max and Maya. People who play many video games tend to lose their reality after a certain time (Richard T. A. Wood 2007). The gaming sector aims to increase both the number of users and the amount of time each person spends playing games. They are designed in such a way that the user develops a tendency to use them as frequently as possible. There are numerous genres of video games. 10 of the most common ones, and their examples are sandboxes, real-time strategy, shooters, multiplayer online battle arenas, role-playing, simulation and sports, puzzles and party games, action adventure, survival and horror, platformers, etc. These video game genres are popular in online media. But for research purposes, we have to convert them into more quantifiable ones, like violent, racing, sports, action, and puzzle types (ID Tech 2018). There are other games, like the educational one, which teaches the kids about the curriculum by incorporating fun into their studies as well. The primary games of concern in this context are the violent ones (I. Granic 2014). Violent Video Games Despite their intended purpose of providing entertainment and information, some video games actively exploit the negative aspects of human psychology. These games have a gory storyline, and human violence, which is not that common in real life, is shown as a reality in these kinds of games. Female subjectivation and brutal violence are shown as the norm. Video games International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 197 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 normalize sexually explicit scenes and scenarios that evoke strong emotions (X Kondrat 2015). These video games can be termed violent video games. Some of the violent games are Dead Space 2, Mortal Kombat, Medal of Honor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Fallout: New Vegas, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and Halo: Reach. The WHO official site states, “Gaming disorder is a pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control over gaming and increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities.” Even though this issue has been taken up by many world organizations and parents, because of their limited knowledge of computers are unable to guide their children in online media. Despite the increasing number of children engaging in online gaming, they remain unprepared for the potential risks. Adolescents who regularly encounter these situations begin to view them as normal, which can negatively influence their still-developing brains and lead them to make incorrect assumptions. The neural plasticity of human beings tends to stop at the age of 25, after which the brain stops rewiring and is considered a mature one (MD Fishburne, 2015). Adolescence is the period when individuals learn essential life skills that prepare them for their future, but excessive gaming can hinder this development. A study by Sudha R. (2012) in her doctoral thesis at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University has highlighted the correlation between video games and physical changes in the body, such as blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic), during gameplay. The respiratory rates were also influenced by these games, and other associated variables showed deviations. Children's new psychological and physical disorders are now closely associated with gaming. Common disorders that are emerging include insomnia, academic failure, extreme anger, and irritability. The addiction associated with games should be read along with this. The hours spent playing also proved to be a decisive factor. So did the income of the parents and their social status. (Sharma, Marimuthu 2011) Violent Video Games & Aggression The relationship between violent video games and aggression has become a hot issue in psychological research. Based on the General Aggression Model (GAM), Anderson suggested International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 198 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 that violent video games constitute an antecedent variable of aggressive behavior, i.e., the degree of exposure to violent video games directly leads to an increase in aggression (Craig A. Anderson 2013). Related longitudinal studies, meta-analyses, event-related potential studies, and trials about juvenile delinquents (Matt Delisi 2013) showed that exposure to violent video games predicts adolescent aggression. Exposure to violent video games is positively related to adolescent aggression; normative beliefs about aggression have a mediating effect on exposure to violent video games and adolescent aggression, while the family environment regulates the first part of the mediation process. For individuals with a favorable family environment, exposure to violent video games only has a direct effect on aggression; however, for those with a poor family environment, there is an indirect effect mediated by normative beliefs about aggression alongside a direct effect. This moderated mediation model incorporates some perspectives of GAM and CM, enriching studies of the generative mechanism of adolescent aggression (Frontiers 2020). Research done by Dr. S. Saravanan and T. Balasaravanan in 2018, Dr. G. R. Damodaran College of Science, India, found that aggression among adolescents is increasing. The majority of subjects who showed aggression were male (88%), compared to the females (11.8%). The result revealed that gender has a significant impact on aggression level components, namely hostility and physical and verbal aggression. It also shows that parental income and education play a major role in contributing to gaming aggression. Male subjects primarily played violent video games. It is fascinating to see that female candidates showed some strains of aggression, but they were not playing games that induce violence. This study raises the question of whether it is the games that are causing the aggression or the gender difference at play. Legal Aspects of Video Gaming Online games range from basic Sudoku, typically preinstalled, to group-playing games like Call of Duty and Castle Crashers. Indian law normally classifies games into two broad categories: games of skill and games of chance. Betting and gambling are included in the state list of the Constitution, so it is primarily the responsibility of each state to manage the legislation regarding these activities. The major central law is the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which was initiated International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 199 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 before the advent of online gaming. This legislation was primarily meant for physical gaming and gambling, and hence will not be able to successfully take on the menace in terms of online gaming and gambling. Sikkim is one of the major states that has passed laws regarding the restriction of gaming and betting on online media. The major states that have passed regulations against gaming are Sikkim, Nagaland, and Telangana. Sikkim passed the Gaming Regulation Act 2008, which came into being in 2009. This law permits gambling licenses for certain games like roulette, blackjack, pontoon, casino brag, etc. Nagaland also had rules for the issue of licenses for games of skill (2022). In 2017, the Telangana State Gaming Amendment Ordinance emerged, offering a contemporary perspective and a sound legal framework for the actual online gaming industry. As the central government has yet to make major laws against the gaming industry, there is certainly a dearth of laws to rein in video games. In India, the IT Act 2000 serves as a major legal framework for regulating the digital platform, but unfortunately, this act and its amendments are not effective in addressing violent video games. (37, Telangana Gazette, 2017). The laws of the game developer's country determine the rating and grading of most games made abroad. The mentality of the game developer is one of the factors that affect the games. The most famous example is the Blue Whale game, in which the creator said that he was doing a duty to society by pushing certain “weak” people to death. The creator of the Blue Whale game was arrested and sentenced to a meager three years, which created uproar among people. The Russian Duma introduced a bill to include criminal responsibility for creating a pro-suicide group on social media. But the problem with penalizing violent video games is that every genre has to be checked individually for its effect on adolescents, which will be an uphill task (Calvert Journal, 2017). International laws primarily serve as a framework that establishes rules and regulations between states and international organizations, aiming to create a regulated community and thereby provide stability to the world. But given that most of the international laws and organizations had their origin before the popularization of the internet, these international laws are based mostly on the physical aspects of the geo boundaries. It would be correct to point out that international laws International Journal of Research (IJR) e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Vol. 12 Issue 13 October 2025 Received: 12 October 2025 206 Revised: 25 October 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Copyright  authors 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17504967 The benefits of playing video games Isabela Granic Adam Lovel Rugter CM ME Engels 2014https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00384/full) Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature. Craig A. Anderson. Brad J. 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Griffith, Adrian Parke https://www.idtech.com/blog/different-types-of-video-game-genres https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/gamingdisorder#:~:text=Gaming%20disorder%20is%20defined%20in,the%20extent%20that%20gamin g%20takes(Retrieved on 24-01-2023) https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/change-is-a-choice-nurturing-neuroplasticity-in-your-life0930154(retrived on 24-01-2023) https://www.thequint.com/explainers/india-law-gambling-online-gaming-betting-state-banillegal-legal(retrieved on 24-01-2023) Telangana Gazette part 4 An extraordinary Nov 7, 2017. 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