Sexual Harassment In Video Games

I. Introduction The status of the video-games industry, with its fast growing multi-billion dollar market has never been stronger. The importance and impact of this medium cannot be neglected. For many years now video games are no longer an entertainment for the chosen. A recent survey revealed that as much as 59% of all Americans play video-games and children start playing as early as at the age of three. The games can stimulate education and development, but they can as well shape the perception of reality and set behavioral patterns. No wonder that this issue is an interesting and common subject for academic studies and a never-ending source of controversy. In spite of the enormous changes and development the industry has undergone

A larger number of female game designers and developers would surely positively influence the market as well as position and presentation of female characters. At the same time, women feel discouraged and threatened to be a part of the industry with such clear lack of respect towards their sex. A glimmer of hope might be the fast growing number of female gamers and the support women in the industry offer to each other – both of which I will discuss in the next

A survey conducted by Emily Matthews on almost nine hundred gamers revealed that as much as 79.3% of all participants believe there is sexism in gaming community and 63% of female players personally experienced sexual harassment . It usually takes forms of unsolicited propositions, sexual threats or taunting. In some cases, the harassment does not end in the virtual environment. One in every five women reported being pursued outside of the game. In consequence, the survey shows, one third of all women decided to give up gaming for some time and two thirds have obscured their sex in order to avoid unpleasant comments and offers. Many female MMO gamers say that on multiple occasions they had their skills mocked and have been treated unfair because of their sex. An experimental study conducted by researchers from Ohio University in a game 'Halo 3 ' has reported that female players receive about three times as many negative verbal comments as males with the same scores and