A pioneering study, based on 1,812 interviews with adult gamers conducted between June 25 and July 5, 2024, indicates that nearly one in five women who play online video games are subjected to unwanted sexual messages. These situations cause significant emotional impact, often overlooked due to the vulnerability and shame they generate in victims.
The research, part of the GamerVictim project from the 'Crímina Center for the Study and Prevention of Delinquency' at the UMH, analyzes victimization, harassment, and toxic behaviors in digital communities and video games. 51.2% of respondents identified as women, 48.1% as men, and a minority as non-binary or preferred not to answer. 12% reported belonging to the LGTBIQ+ collective.
Among participating women, 19.7% admit to having received unwanted sexual messages. Furthermore, 7.2% have been coerced into sending intimate content, 5.4% have been threatened with the dissemination of previously exchanged intimate photos, and around 5% have been pressured for an online or in-person intimate relationship or sexual encounter.
Fernando Miró, director of Crímina and professor of Criminal Law at the UMH, points out that the gaming world is a "closed and private environment where inappropriate behaviors are not always reported," and that women experience "different" situations simply by being women, in a space initially designed for male users.
The psychological effects of these behaviors can be severe, with "damaging" consequences, particularly from a social and emotional standpoint. 41.5% of victims react by reducing their video game consumption, 40.1% by changing their habits (such as hiding their identity or gender), and one in three abandon this type of leisure activity, according to Esther Nanclares, one of the study's authors.
Other effects include feelings of vulnerability (in half of cases), shame (46.4%), difficulty forming friendships, physical symptoms, accumulated tension, sadness (four out of ten), self-destructive behavior (28.5%), and even suicidal thoughts (25.1%). Mario Santisteban and Aiala Tejada also participated in the research, highlighting that the "gamer woman" is a victim of a male profile that believes in "hegemonic masculinity" and considers video games their exclusive space.
