LONDON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- A British mother whose son was killed by another teenager has called for the banning of violent video games.
Giselle Pakeerah believes Warren Leblanc, 17, who killed her son last year, was imitating the game Manhunt, the Times of London reported. The game, in which players get points for killing people, was not mentioned at Leblanc's trial.
Pakeerah also points to a new game, Bully, in which players engage in a virtual beating. Both Manhunt and Bully are produced by Rockstar Games.
Pakeerah's call for a ban came as U.S. researchers released a study that suggests a link between violent game playing and violent behavior. Researchers from St. Leo University in Florida told the American Psychological Association's annual meeting in Washington that even a short period of playing violent video games changes behavior.
The researchers analyzed 20 years of studies.
