Online toxicity in video gaming is a topic I often discuss with my clients, students and when training clinicians. In essence, it is a form of cyberbullying and harassment that has become cyclical and research indicates how common it is found in online multiplayer game settings. If you would like to explore if this has happened to you or a loved one, click here to take our FREE confidential assessment for online toxicity
According to data from a large national survey of online gamers in the United States of America:
-68% percent of online multiplayer gamers experienced more severe abuse,
including physical threats, stalking and sustained harassment, which is up from 65 percent in the
2019 survey
-This equates to 45 million online game-playing Americans reporting they have experienced online toxicity while playing a video game
Among online game players who experienced harassment, 52% reported being targeted based on their race, religion, ability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
– 44% of players reported experiencing stalking in online multiplayer games
– An alarming 12% of online game players have been swatted in an online game. Swatting is a dangerous practice in which someone attempts to send a SWAT team or other law enforcement to someone’s home by falsely reporting that a violent crime is taking place or is imminent
– 41% of women and 37% of LGBTQ+ game players reported harassment on the basis of their gender and sexual orientation, respectively
– 30% of game players who are Hispanic/Latinx, 31% who are black, and 25% who are Asian American experienced harassment because of their racial or ethnic identity
– 18% who identify as Jewish and 25% who identify as Muslim reported being harassed because of their religious identity
– 25% of disabled people report they were targeted as a result of their disability.
The psychological & physical impacts of online toxicity in online multiplayer #videogaming go well beyond the virtual world.
These statistics illustrate what online gamers are exposed to daily. Let’s work together to create solutions for ending online harassments. If you or a loved one would like to learn more, take our click here to take our FREE confidential assessment for online toxicity to learn more. Contact us directly if you would like to learn more or talk about experiences of online harassment. We are here to listen, support, and find solutions.
If you or a loved one has experienced online toxicity or cyberbullying, or you would like to learn more, we at Reboot & Recover have trained licensed health professionals who are here to support you and listen.
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