There is an ongoing debate among researchers regarding whether violent media directly causes aggression. One line of research, initiated by Albert Bandura's early studies and supported by the work of Craig Anderson and his colleagues, presents substantial evidence for a causal relationship between time spent with violent media and the development of aggressive thoughts and behaviors. In contrast, another perspective, advanced by researchers like Christopher Ferguson, argues that while a connection may exist, studies supporting a causal link have not sufficiently controlled for other significant risk factors, such as an individual's mental health status and family environment.