86% of Adult Gamers Experience Online Harassment—and It's Getting Worse
Longstanding issues with rhetoric used in online gaming communities persists, as a new study(Opens in a new window) reports that 86% of adult gamers have experienced harassment, including trolling, discrimination, and sexual harassment.
That's up 16% from 2019, when 74% of gamers reported being "harassed at all." Other categories in the report include beging "called offensive names," "personally embarrassed," and "stalked," among others. Instances of all increased from 2019 to 2022, the survey found.
The report was compiled by Casinos En Ligne(Opens in a new window), a French Canadian online-gambling company. It cites information from the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) 2022 report(Opens in a new window) on hate and harassment in gaming, which noted that 76% of gamers in the United States are over 18.
"The immense popularity of online games means it is likely that you or someone close to you has experienced hate and harassment," says the ADL.
Regarding the table above (data courtesy of the Casino En Ligne report), the ADL defines doxing as "making personally identifying information public." Swatting is "when a stranger makes a false report to emergency services to target someone." Survey respondents report having their addresses and phone numbers leaked to a group of players online and police showing up at their doors under the false belief that the gamers are holding hostages.
“It’s clear there is a serious issue with hate and harassment in the online gaming sphere," says a spokesperson from Casinos En Ligne. "The alarming rate at which levels are rising should be a warning to both game companies and communities."
Women and gamers identifying as African American reported staggering 44% and 47% jumps in harassment,
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