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March 3, 2026BMC Psychology0 citationsOpen Access

The relationship between video game use, antisocial behaviour, and bullying in adolescents and young adults, and gender differences

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SGSara González-ÁlvarezMRMarta Ruiz-NarezoJSJosu Solabarrieta

Key Points

  • Excessive video game use correlates with increased bullying and antisocial behaviour among adolescents.
  • Victims and perpetrators of bullying reportedly spend more hours playing video games, particularly noted in girls.
  • Analysis based on survey data utilizing odds ratios to examine relationships between variables.
  • Findings highlight the role of video games as both an escape for victims and a risk environment for aggressors.

Abstract

Adolescence is a complex stage. During the process of experimentation, several risk behaviours may coincide, such as bullying or other antisocial behaviours. Data from a survey conducted with 6209 adolescents and young adults were examined. The variables of video game use, bullying, and antisocial behaviour were dichotomised, and the relationship was analysed using the Odds Ratio. Victims of bullying are found to spend more hours playing, as do perpetrators and those who have committed violence against people and objects. Moreover, the effect size of these differences is larger among women. According to several authors and interpretative hypotheses derived from the literature, video games offer victims an escape valve and a safe place. People who engage in violence may find in video games a space where they can share risk and aggression. A notable link has been found between excessive video game use and bullying and certain antisocial behaviours, and it is more pronounced among girls than among boys.

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Cite This Study

González-Álvarez et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a76705badf0bb9e87df54bhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-03995-8
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