Abstract:
Grand Theft Auto is an integral part of modern culture, but the effects on its players are still being debated. In the wake of the Columbine, Aurora, and Newtown shootings-all of which were committed by players of violent video games-it is important to investigate if the recent surge in public killing sprees can be traced to a particular set of causes. Grand Theft Auto, with its open-world gameplay and ability to simulate mass virtual killing sprees, has been suggested as one of the possible causes of the recent surge in mass violence. This paper examines the relationship between the crime rate and the search volume (provided by Google Trends) of Grand Theft Auto cheat codes. We examine time series data for California from October 2004 through December 2010 and panel data for the entire United States from the years 2005-2010. The findings suggest there is no significant relationship between Grand Theft Auto and the crime rate. If such a relationship exists, the relationship is negative, which is shown in both the California time series and the national panel data.
