At what age should we be held accountable for our actions? For too long, society has blamed its problems on inanimate things. Society blames food for obesity, firearms for murder and video games for youth violence. None of these things are responsible for the problems society suffers from. Instead of blaming video games and the media for violent children, parents need to accept responsibility for teaching their children right and wrong. Inevitably, some children will still be violent; however, the video game is not yet to blame. Youth violence has been decreasing since 1993. According to the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics in 1993, 26 percent of violent crimes involved a juvenile perpetrator, while in 2011 only 10 percent of violent crimes were committed by juveniles. Even though juvenile offenders are less common, video game sales are steadily increasing. “Sales of computer and video game software in the United States grew 22.9 percent in 2008 to $11.7 billion – more than quadrupling the industry's software sales since 1996.” (Washington.edu) With so many children playing video games, some with highly violent content, child violence should be growing at an alarming rate, but it is not. Youth violence can be linked to many things other than natural impulses. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says abuse, stress, medications and even genetics contribute to violence among youth. It may seem that performing violent acts virtually increases the desire to be violent in reality; studies have not shown this to be true. More to blame than video games is parents' ignorance of how their actions or lack of action affect their children. Alternatively, parents need to be held accountable for their children's behavior. The Ame...... middle of paper ...... CitedAacap.org. “Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents” by American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2014. Web. February 24, 2014Childstats.gov. Federal Interagency Forum on the Child and Family Statistics Web “Young Perpetrators of Serious Violent Crimes.” February 24, 2014.NRA.org. “What is the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program?” Web of the National Rifle Association of America. February 24, 2014 Olsen, Cheryl, Kutner, Lawrence, Warner, Dorothy, Almerigi, Jason, Baer, ​​Lee, Nicholi, Armand and Beresin, Eugene "Factors Related to Violent Video Game Use by Adolescent Boys and Girls," Journal of Adolescent Health, January 2007 Web. February 24, 2014ProCon.org. “Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?” ProCon.org. February 2, 2014. Web. February 24, 2014. Washington.edu. “FYI: Entertainment Software Association Video Game Statistics” Web. Feb. 24. 2014.