The relationship between video game use, antisocial behaviour, and bullying in adolescents and young adults, and gender differences

Abstract

Adolescence is a complex stage. During the process of experimentation, several risk behaviours may coincide, such as bullying or other antisocial behaviours. Data from a survey conducted with 6209 adolescents and young adults were examined. The variables of video game use, bullying, and antisocial behaviour were dichotomised, and the relationship was analysed using the Odds Ratio. Victims of bullying are found to spend more hours playing, as do perpetrators and those who have committed violence against people and objects. Moreover, the effect size of these differences is larger among women. According to several authors and interpretative hypotheses derived from the literature, video games offer victims an escape valve and a safe place. People who engage in violence may find in video games a space where they can share risk and aggression. A notable link has been found between excessive video game use and bullying and certain antisocial behaviours, and it is more pronounced among girls than among boys.