Playing With Guns as a Child Leads to Aggression

Toys produced a reliably higher rate of anti social behavior than other toys. Researchers found that toy gun play, along with parental punishment, were associated with a higher level of real aggression in pre-schoolers. The study was designed to pit the cathartic theory of aggression against cueing theory. Various factors may interact to increase the likelihood of aggression in children and children developing long term aggressive tendencies.