October 5, 2023
People often rationalize toxicity in games, but this behavior can be significant and have long-term adverse effects. Targets of this toxicity produce coping mechanisms like deciding not to voice chat. Unfortunately, this can put them at a disadvantage and discourage them from playing. This article will explore some reactions based on player responses and previous studies.
A study by Amanda C. Cote published in 2015 states five main harassment management strategies emerged from an analysis of how women respond to toxicity in gaming. These five main strategies include leaving online gaming, avoiding strangers, camouflaging gender, emphasizing skill, and assuming more aggressive personalities. We still see all five strategies being implemented in gaming today. All of these approaches come with pros and cons. They may not be a surefire way to cut down on the overall gender-based toxicity in games, but they may help some individuals avoid these situations while gaming.
Leaving Online Gaming
The study on harassment management by Amanda C. Cote states that avoiding online gaming has become commonplace for women who have been targeted by gender-based toxicity. While many women in the study still gamed, they tended to avoid online play due to past negative experiences. Many had switched to single-player games or only gaming with friends as a safer alternative.
The study states that the pro of this reaction is that women can enjoy games even when the multiplayer experience is unwelcome. However, driving women away from online gaming can contribute to the perception that gender-based toxicity perpetuates. This can result in a higher level of harassment directed at non-male gamers.
Avoiding Strangers
Women can be subjected to unwanted advances and overtly sexual comments when dealing with online gaming. Some gamers interviewed for Cote’s study recalled accounts of crude remarks made by their male counterparts. Remarks were made asking for their undergarments or worse. These advances are not only creepy and frustrating, but they can take time and effort to fend off. It can be exhausting to wade through the negativity, so many interviewees found that playing with friends could be enough to overcome online harassment.
I spoke with Twitch streamer and It Gets Better Ambassador, JoyfulJupiter (Jupiter) on their experiences with gender-based harassment. Jupiter states, “I’ve been told that girls shouldn’t be allowed to play and that I should ‘be in the kitchen making a sandwich while playing online. It made me feel extremely uncomfortable and a bit angry. Saying something like that is completely unnecessary and misogynistic.”
They went on to say that in situations like this, they tend to use the “avoiding strangers” approach by only playing with friends. “The pro to only playing games with friends is that you won’t have to worry about toxicity or someone making you uncomfortable while just trying to relax and play games. The con is that it can limit how often you can play as well as limit opportunities for things such as events, tournaments, etc, where you would need to play with strangers.”
Camouflaging Gender
Camouflaging is the act of managing avatar attributes and chat, so others do not recognize one’s offline gender identity. For example, some women tend to not use what can be seen as “feminine usernames,” so they can be perceived as gender-neutral. Another tactic of camouflaging is avoiding using microphones among groups of strangers.
While camouflaging can prevent potential harassment and protect players from other harmful reactions. “Of the hundreds of times I’ve used [voice chat] with people who didn’t already know me well, perhaps two or three times I felt like it was not a big deal and/or extremely interesting that I was a woman,” one of the interviewees in Cote’s study stated. Ignoring a gamer or acting surprised that they are there based on gender identity is highly toxic and can be harmful to the gaming community. This toxic behavior excludes women from general gaming communities by treating them as others rather than regular gamers.
While camouflaging can help cut down on harassment, it can be harmful to the gameplay. Voice chat is meant to help with faster communication and better coordination with one’s team. Not using this feature due to a toxic gameplay environment can cause people to leave the game altogether.
Emphasizing Skill
Some say the best way to silence a hater is to simply be better. “I always wanna make sure that people are wanting to play with me because of my playing skills, not just because I’m a chick,” Cote’s study quotes one of the interviewees. This sentiment is echoed by many women gamers who rely on their skills and experience to stop harassment instead of deploying strategies to avoid the harassment.
Some interviewees stated they quietly ignored harassers and focused on the game. When the offending gamers were out-performed, many stopped their negative behavior and apologized. This can be a good strategy to stave off harassment; however, its downside can be draining. “It definitely was tough being in a situation where I don’t want to have to compete, but I’m forced to and then forced to compete even farther just to make sure that I’m allowed to play,” one of the interviewees said. They felt that if they were not one of the best, they did not have a safe place in the game, and it stopped being fun. Constantly proving yourself over again just because of gender bias can become frustrating and exhausting.
This sentiment is shared by Twitch streamer and VTuber, Hero_Haydes (Hero), who states, “In most online games, anyone will receive harassment. However, some communities in particular have a following that tends to target their female players. For example, [when playing Valorant or League of Legends], I’ve had games dodged after a team member hears that I have a feminine voice. There have been a few more serious events where men have grouped up or complained about my plays and then proceeded to threaten me with harm.”
Hero stated they tend to use the “emphasizing skill” approach to dealing with harassment. “Once they realize I’m doing better than them, and it’s pointed out, they tend to keep quiet. It reinforces that they have no right to think they are better than me just because of my gender, and it usually doesn’t escalate once it’s realized.” In response to the cons of this approach, Hero stated, “I would have to be doing well in all of my games, and that is not the case most of the time. Another is that it doesn’t directly point out what is wrong with the situation, and oftentimes these players need a bit of help spelling things out.”
Personality Strategies
The last coping method that is relied on frequently is the act of deliberately adopting aggressive personality traits. This is a form of fighting fire with fire. Some interviewees in Cote’s study stated they declined harassment when they showed they could take insults and dish them out. They also noted that sarcasm brought a similar result by driving away harassers who did not understand the joke, and it brought them allies who found it funny.
While this strategy definitely has merit, it can cause other criticisms. The study points out one such criticism, “…responding to harassment aggressively can be a double-edged sword. Women who chose this strategy sometimes faced accusations that they were ‘acting like an emotional female,’ with harassers drawing on the familiar trope of hysterical women to try to dismiss the player’s response.” While personality strategies can be helpful in many situations, one must be prepared for them to backfire.
Final Thoughts
With their closing remarks, Jupiter states, “Be sure to report the behavior if you are able to within the game. Remember that it’s okay to stand up for yourself and tell someone not to speak to you that way. But it’s also okay to mute your mic and not engage. Do whatever you need to feel comfortable and safe. And know that you don’t deserve to be treated that way!”
As shown, these five main harassment management strategies can be useful. Though each choice comes with its own downside, these tips may help handle individual instances of harassment. Of course, the real change must come from the overall culture of gaming. We have begun to see progress in the emerging diversity of esports, so we can be hopeful that a more diverse culture will lead to a decrease in discrimination and harassment in gaming.