75 Percent Of Young Women Report Abuse In Online Games
A study into abuse in online games has found that most female gamers experience harassment while playing, with the majority of victims aged between 18 and 24. 75 percent of younger respondents said they had been abused in online games, with around 50 percent of women of all age groups reporting harassment.
The study also delves into the effects that this abuse has on women, with 25 percent saying that it left them feeling depressed. 27 percent also worry that the abuse will bleed into real life. One in ten even reported feeling suicidal due to the abuse in the gaming scene, showing that bigotry and toxicity in the community are having a significant effect on the mental health of some players.
Related: The Abuse Of Ada Wong’s Actor Is The Latest Episode Of Gamers Being Awful
The research, conducted by Sky, involved 4,000 women who either stream or play online games. One of the respondents spoke in detail about the abuse she's received online, explaining that it ranges from excessive flirting to verbal threats and abuse. 27 percent of the women interviewed even said they were worried that they would be attacked in real life following this abuse.
"The reality is if this was happening on a football pitch, you would have a ref that would like literally blow a whistle and send someone off," says Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports. "We can't keep watching these numbers keep happening and these women keep having this experience. This is all about looking after their mental health and making sure women feel that they can play and do the thing that they love."
Unfortunately, such abuse seems to be accepted as a fact of life. Statistics such as this aren't particularly surprising, with many players, especially women, avoiding
Read more on thegamer.com
