Bilgisayar Oyunlarının Çocukların Saldırganlık Düzeylerine Etkisinin İncelenmesi

This study aims to examine the effects of computer games on aggression level of primary and secondary school students. Relational scanning model was used and study sample comprised 484 students with different socio-economic level from 4th and 5th grade of nine primary and secondary schools in Edirne. 231 of the students are girls (52,3 %) while 253 are boys (47,7 %). 50,2 % are 4th grades and 49,85 % are 5th grades. The study involved “General Information Form” designed by researchers in order to obtain general information about children, families and students’ playing status and “Aggression Scale” designed by Buss and Perry (2000) in order to detect aggression level of students and adapted to Turkish by Can (2002). Data obtained from General Information Form and Aggression Scale were analyzed on SPSS 16.0 statistic program and tested on 0.05 significance level. Besides, sub-dimension scores were formed by taking average of total and sub-dimension scores instead of taking them as a whole. Data from General Information Form were assessed according to their frequency and distribution percentage. Independent group t-test was used while comparing students’ “Aggression Scale” scores with variables in “General Information Form”. One of the important findings of the study is that 301 students (62,20 %) reported that they did not play computer games with violent content and 183 students (37,80 %) reported that they did. However, when students were given the names of computer games with/without violent content and asked to mark the ones that they played, it was found that 173 students (35,75 %) did not play computer games with violent content and 311 students (64,25 %) students played. Thus, it was detected that children did not realize that their games involved violent content. Here, the family has the important role. 90,1 % of the students in this study stated that their parents set rules on their plays while 9,9 % reported that their parents set no rules on computer games. However, the reason of this remarkable conflict may be the fact that these rules are rather related to duration and parents do not bring limitation on the type and content of the games.According to independent t-test results, aggression level of students was found to be high in total and sub-dimensions according to playing status reported by students. Besides, it was found that aggression level of students was high in sum and sub-dimensions according to whether they played computer games with and without content while there was not a significant difference only in verbal aggression dimension. STRUCTURED ABSTRACT Digital games including subtypes such as console games, computer games and online games (Gürcan et al., 2008), interactive and communicative aspects of entertainment offered by the games (Gürcan et al., 2008) significantly increase the frequency and prevalence that children and youngsters use this media (Kars, 2010). Researchers have begun to question what kind of effects this rapid popularization of computer games have on children and youngsters. Many studies have found that computer games have numerous positive and negative effects depending on purpose, duration and content of the game (Setzer & Duckett,1994; Smith, 2004; Doğusoy ve İnal, 2006; Anderson & Prot, 2011; Buckley & Anderson, 2006; Carnagey, Anderson & Bushman, 2007; Horzum, 2011). The fact that many popular games around the world have violent content (Buckley & Anderson, 2006) and influence aggression level of children negatively gave rise to numerous international studies (Sherry, 2001; Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Anderson & Prot, 2011; Setzer & Duckett, 1994; Robinson, Wilde, Navracruz, Haydel & Varady, 2001; Barlett & Rodeheffer, 2009; Mathews vd., 2005; Kelleci, 2008; Akarcalı, 1996; Minov & LaMay, 1995; Arriaga, Esteves, Carneiro & Monteiro, 2006; Çetinkaya, 1991). However, studies on this issue are very limited in Turkey although these computers are as prevalent as in the world, have violent content and negative effects on youngsters (Dilekmen, Ada and Alver, 2011; Samancı, 2006). Therefore, studies on the effects of computer games on children’s violence and aggression level are needed in Turkey. Thus, this study aims to examine the effects of computer games on aggression level of primary and secondary school students in order to suggest precautions for the families and create a social awareness and fill the scientific research gap in the country. Relational scanning model was used and study sample comprised 484 students with different socio-economic level from 4th and 5th grade of nine primary and secondary schools in Edirne. 231 of the students are girls (52,3 %) while 253 are boys (47,7 %). 50,2 % are 4th grades and 49,85 % are 5th grades. The study involved “General Information Form” designed by researchers in order to obtain general information about children, families and students’ playing status and “Aggression Scale” designed by Buss and Perry (2000) in order to detect aggression level of students and adapted to Turkish by Can (2002). Data obtained from General Information Form and Aggression Scale were analyzed on SPSS 16.0 statistic program and tested on 0.05 significance level. Besides, subdimension scores were formed by taking average of total and subdimension scores instead of taking them as a whole. Data from General Information Form were assessed according to their frequency and distribution percentage. Independent group t-test was used while comparing students’ “Aggression Scale” scores with variables in “General Information Form”. One of the important findings of the study is that 301 students (62,20 %) reported that they did not play computer games with violent content and 183 students (37,80 %) reported that they did. However, when students were given the names of computer games with/without violent content and asked to mark the ones that they played, it was found that 173 students (35,75 %) did not play computer games with viole