Certain toys trigger aggression.

• Position: Violence - Brief Article

Be wary of the social-emotional risks of certain toys. Many send a dangerous message that could lead to destructive behavior. Joel Steinberg, professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, warns, "Parents should be very careful in selecting toys that may encourage [aggressive] behaviors, such as toy guns, knives, bow and arrows, or computer games and violent videos."

Youngsters who play violent video games are not participating in real-life experiences. If they run into a roadblock on a computer game, they may destroy it, and that is not appropriate in real life, Steinberg asserts. He...