Neither video game violence exposure, nor television violence exposure, were prospective predictors of serious acts of youth aggression or violence in a sample of 302 (52.3% girls) mostly Hispanic youth. However, current levels of depressive symptoms were strong predictors of serious aggression and violence across most outcome measures. Moreover, depressive symptoms also interacted with antisocial traits so that antisocial individuals with depressive symptoms were the most inclined toward youth violence.

Ferguson acknowledges that violent video games remain an issue of concern but that up to now the available prospective studies of video game violence effects have not used well-validated measures of youth violence, nor have they considered video game violence effects in context with other influences on youth violence such as family environment, peer delinquency, and depressive symptoms.

The comprehensive report:

Ferguson provides an overview of the prospective studies conducted and an analysis of theoretical constructs.

The study is both reassuring and cautionary.

In General, no direct effects of video games or television violence on criminal behaviors were seen for the entire sample.

However, violence exposure may be associated with more violent crimes in antisocial children, particularly in those who are depressed.

The sample:

The sample is urban, participants were all from a border town near Mexico and 96.8% of the subjects were Hispanic.

Unanswered in the study design were questions about the potential effects of poverty, substance abuse, school influences, self-control, and genetics in this group of adolescents

Reference: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736477?src=mp&spon=34