Video game carnage

But Sandler said, even more than films, violent video games are at the core of brutal behavior, and she said they should be regulated.

“I have seen clients who have engaged in that interactive video experience where they are killing, where they are using guns, where they are gaining points and winning given the more bodies that they amass. In this country we can ban sugary drinks for children because it’s unhealthy. We have done nothing to stop violent video games for children and adults,” she said.

Sandler said on-screen violence itself is not dangerous. But it can be "weaponized" in the hands of people with mental issues.

Mental health issues

Law enforcement authorities in the Connecticut shooting have said very little about the 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza's mental health. But the elementary school attack has raised the issue and many are calling on society to be more vigilant.

A game industry group calls any link between video games and violence a myth. And following the movie theater massacre in July, a movie industry mogul suggested a summit on violence and film, which has not yet been convened.

Still, an Oscar-nominated movie last year, We Need to Talk About Kevin, eerily mirrors the Newtown shooting. The 16-year-old upperclass Kevin goes goes on a killing spree at his high school after murdering his family - the movie raising loaded questions about teen mental health, family breakdown and violence in American society.