Video games blamed for violence

A poll has found 58 percent of U.S. adults blame video games for violent behavior in teenagers but 33 percent allow their children to play whatever they want. A Harris Poll survey of 2,278 adults in the United States also found 38 percent were unaware of the ratings provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for computer and video games indicating the appropriate age group and content, Gamesport.com reported Tuesday. "The findings underscore the lack of awareness Americans have about the video game rating system, as well as the confusion in the market," Harris Poll president Mike de Vere said in a statement. "They also factor into a larger discussion playing out across our country and on a political stage around how violent games impact our youth, with President Obama recently announcing his desire to look into ways to fund research examining the impact of violent video games on children." The president recently announced a $500 million, 23-point plan that directs the Centers for Disease Control to conduct further research into the relationship between virtual violence and real-world violence. Forty-seven percent of poll respondents said they do not have faith in the ability of ESRB ratings to keep mature-rated games away from children.