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Background and objectives: Women in gaming communities face discrimination due to their gender; however, gaps exist in the literature in understanding how allyship helps mitigate harassment’s harmful effects. To address this, we conducted a qualitative study exploring women’s lived experiences of sexual harassment in gaming and how women perceive allyship in gaming communities. Methods and approach: We used an inductive thematic analysis to identify patterns in participants’ experiences. Our sample (N = 165) included adult women who identified as gamers, recruited from a university and various Discord gaming communities. Results: We uncovered six main themes regarding women’s harassment experiences in gaming: lack of experience, sexualization, threatening behavior, general harassment, disrespectful behavior, and psychological effects. For women’s allyship experience in gaming, we discovered two themes: lack of intervention or support, and presence of support. Our findings showed that a vast majority of women reported experiencing harassment, with many comments questioning their competence or worthiness in gaming, which may perpetuate a toxic and exclusionary gaming environment for women. Allyship played a crucial role in lessening the effects of harassment on women. However, participants noted that supportive actions were often lacking, with few bystanders stepping in to help. Conclusions & broader implications: Despite men dominating gaming communities, most interventions during sexual harassment incidents came from other women. Although women frequently support each other, greater male engagement as active bystanders is crucial. By promoting allyship awareness, encouraging proactive intervention, and placing structural interventions, we can foster a safer and inclusive gaming environment for women."

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Fall 11-21-2025

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

Women; Gender Bias; Harassment; Gaming; Allyship

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Psychiatry and Psychology

File Format

PDF

File Size

597 KB

Permissions

Google Drive\Institutional Repository\OUR_OfficeOfUGResearch\Symposia\2025 Fall Symposium

Comments

Mentor: Rachael D. Robnett

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Women’s Lived Experiences with Harassment in Gaming


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