Computer games 'do have benefits'

Computer games can aid children's health and do not deserve a wholly negative reputation, an expert says.

Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, says they can be a distraction for children undergoing painful treatment.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, he added that games can also help children with attention deficit disorders gain social skills.

But he said violent games, like violent films, might fuel aggression in some.