Investigating sexual harassment in online video games: How personality and context factors are related to toxic sexual behaviors against fellow players

Abstract

Online video games are social spaces for players from around the world. They use this space to form communities, relationships, and identities. However, gaming communities are not always welcoming, and some are even perceived as being "toxic." A prevalent issue is online sexual harassment, which is keeping many women from participating in the gaming community. Research on the factors contributing to the problem is limited, though. The present study replicates and expands previous research, using a sample of 856 online gamers. The study supports earlier findings that found hostile sexism and social dominance orientation as predictors of sexual harassment perpetration in online video games. In addition, we expanded the previous research with additional predictors: machiavellianism, psychopathy, and gamer identification predicted higher sexual harassment perpetration. Our results have implications for the gaming community's role in curtailing sexual harassment and making itself a more inclusive community.

The interplay of individual differences, norms, and group identification in predicting prejudiced behavior in online video game interactions

“…This work builds on past research that has explored predictors of prejudice in online gaming (Fox & Tang, 2014; Hilvert‐Bruce & Neill, 2020; Tang & Fox, 2016; Tang et al, 2020) in several important ways. We present a more comprehensive model of predictors, including norms, individual differences, and gamer engagement, and are able to test the direct and indirect effects of personality and engagement.…”

“…Recent research further extends our understanding of individual difference predictors of prejudiced behavior in online gaming by assessing a more comprehensive model of the predictors of sexism in online gaming (Tang, Reer, & Quandt, 2020). Hostile sexism, Social Dominance Orientation, sadism, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and gamer identification were tested as predictors of self‐reported sexual harassment in online video games.…”

Dark Participation in Games

“…Last but not least, we need to mobilize gamers themselves. Research has found that confronting toxic behaviors in games is one of the most effective ways to extinguish the behavior ( Whitty and Carr, 2006 ; Young and Jordan, 2013 ; Ridout and Campbell, 2014 ; Tang et al, 2020 ). However, recent reports indicate that only 18% ( Cary et al, 2020 ) to 20% of gamers say they stand up to harassment when they see it ( D’Anastasio, 2020 ), even though 76% of players ( Cary et al, 2020 ) felt prejudice should be confronted in online games.…”

COVID-19: Technology, Social Connections, Loneliness, and Leisure Activities: An International Study Protocol

“…The interdisciplinary research project "Internet and Mental Health" (2016-2019) aimed to investigate the psychosocial effects of using online media. In Germany, a nationally representative survey of 1,929 adolescents and younger adults (aged 14-39 years) focused on topics such as social media and gaming disorder (Reer et al, 2020;Tang et al, 2020a), the fear of missing out (Reer et al, 2019), or sexual harassment in online contexts (Tang et al, 2020b). A primary goal of this project was to examine how the use of ICTs is associated with different indicators of mental health, loneliness, depression, and anxiety.…”