WASHINGTON — When it comes to violent crime, does a suspect’s race really change the public’s perception regarding their motive? People are more likely to cite violent video games as a cause of school shootings by white shooters than those by African American shooters. This is the conclusion of a study by the American Psychological Association. Their researchers believe this is because of racial stereotypes associating minorities with violent crime.
The researchers analyzed over 200,000 news articles reporting on 204 mass shootings over a 40-year period. The results show video games are eight times more likely to be part of the media’s narrative if the shooting happens in a school and the perpetrator is a White male. The researchers also conducted a study with college students and reached similar conclusions.
“When a violent act is carried out by someone who doesn’t match…
