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Female gamers often face conflicts in interpersonal communication while playing online video games in a male dominated industry. In many cases, male gamers do not treat women players with the same respect as other men and will even sexually harass the women. In order to avoid this harassment, some women go as far as using male avatars (a practice referred to as covering), refraining from social interaction on the platform, or deciding to refrain from gameplay completely. Insight from three different communication theories – Social Penetration Theory, Expectancy Violations Theory, and Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects – provide predictions for the cause of this sexist behavior and may lead to finding solutions to combat the problem.

https://observer.com/2012/08/sexism-in-gaming-isnt-a-joke-or-a-meme-says-a-gaming-tournament-founder-finally/

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Since video games were first popularized in the 70s and 80s, it has been a predominantly white, male industry. Any groups outside of this, such as women and racial minorities, face backlash from this in-group while playing video games on a regular basis. As shown in a study by Lee, even a player using a female avatar that is randomly generated in the game is associated with and receives sexist backlash (2004). Many online games do not have a strong enough punishment to deter these players from this behavior. The predicament is a multi-faceted situation that has yet to be solved. Many feel that it is a problem that must be handled with care until the overall culture of gaming changes. However, why should women have to wait around for the culture to change? Instead, more research should be done to determine why the sexist behavior occurs and how it can be stopped. Looking at communication theories is where I would like to start in this complex endeavor (Fox & Tang, 2014). Women deserve to be treated equal to men in the online gaming community and should be able to play without the fear of being sexually harassed or demeaned.

The following video was made by a female gamer, under the tag Spawntaneous, who creates vlogs containing the interactions she has with men in online video games. It shows first-hand the kind of sexual harassment that women often deal with. While it may only be one woman's account of sporadic incidences compiled together, it still validates a problem that many women continue to face.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL0aVqVslSE

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What Girl Gamers REALLY Have To Deal With | OMG a Girl Series [1]

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How Much Do People Really Communicate in Online Video Games? ~ Social Penetration Theory (SPT)

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How Much Do People Really Communicate in Online Video Games? ~ Social Penetration Theory (SPT)

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How much do people actually communicate while playing an online video game? If they are focused on the game, is there even communication that occurs? While the gameplay is important, many gamers play just as much for the social aspect of the activity. Thus, it is important to note what is often disclosed in an online space and how that may differ to face-to-face interactions. Understanding the extent of self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication (its breadth and/or depth) is helpful in determining the “normal” communication between gamers. In SPT, individuals weigh the costs and rewards of their own self-disclosure with others. If the rewards outweigh the costs, then the individual will share more information about him/herself. With first time encounters, a breadth of information is shared rather than a depth (Taylor & Altman, 1975). This information can be used to compare the disclosure and self-fulfilling prophecies in male-female gamer communication.

Why would anyone choose to self-disclose information about themselves in online games? The answer is similar to why people share personal information in real life – to build relationships. A study dealing with online communication in business endeavors agreed with this statement and even took it further to suggest that the anonymous nature of the online community increases self-disclosure due to disinhibition (Posey, Lowery, Roberts, & Ellis, 2010). So, it is clear that players in online games do disclose information about themselves. What type of information is it and how does it differ between men and women?

As discovered in an experiment with a test group of bloggers, through computer-mediated communication, users are more likely to self-disclose experiences and hobbies rather than personal information. Conversations are more apt to be lighthearted without getting too personal into the other person’s career, money, feelings, etc (Tang & Wang, 2012). If the conversations in video games are anything like conversations in online blogs, then it seems that there should be no deep, driving force for any harassment other than that which is surface level. From this research, a conclusion can be drawn that the sexual harassment of women in online gaming is not personal to the gamer's life, so why does it still occur? On the surface level, the competitive nature of games and the expectations that women have both outside and inside the game may further explain this harassment. So, this can be explored further through the expectancy violations theory.

https://theawesomedaily.com/50-video-game-memes/

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What do you want from me? ~ Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT)

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What do you want from me? ~ Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT)

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There are many expectations placed on women in the real world; of course this attitude carries over into online gaming. The expectancy violations theory provides another view into the reasoning for this never-ending harassment as well as a look into combatting it. This theory states that a violation of what is a normal, behavioral expectation could have positive or negative outcomes depending on the factors that surround it (Burgoon, 1993). Based on this knowledge, both positive or negative outcomes could occur when a woman breaks the expectations of a male gamer. These implications can be discussed more in depth depending on what the violation is.

Men and women have different expectations when it comes to leadership styles. Going along with the normal stereotypes, women are expected to lead with community in mind and in a supportive style while men are expected to be more self oriented and aggressive in leadership. Since leadership is a common necessity in group-based online gaming, these gender stereotypes of leadership inform what is expected of men versus women as well as predict what could happen when those expectations are violated (Hentschel, Braun, Peus, & Frey, 2018). These implications are another way to predict why sexual harassment occurs in online gaming.

Men and women often have very different experiences in the game play, both in communication and the actual gaming. In tandem with Expectancy Violations Theory, a study revolving around first-person shooter games (FPS) found that along with these differences, women must work to violate expectations in order to better enjoy the game and violate the expectation that they are beneath the male player (Hopp & Fisher, 2017). Furthermore, a woman may break the male expectancy of being a poor player; depending on whether the male views this as a positive or negative communicator reward valence determines the outcome. From the amount of sexist behavior that has been recorded, men often see this violation as a negative. So, what are the reasons for this negative reaction that leads to sexism if SPT has suggested that the harassment is not personal to the individual? SIDE provides a lot of insight into the predictors of this type of behavior.

This video follows two professional female gamers and their struggle to be recognized as equals in the pro gaming world. Often times, there is an expectancy for women to be less skilled in video games compared to men. In the struggle to violate this expectation, women are often greeted with negative reactions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD3pvtvoUP4

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Inside world of female gamers - BBC News

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Like Birds of a Feather, the Men Flock Together ~ Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effect (SIDE)

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Like Birds of a Feather, the Men Flock Together ~ Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effect (SIDE)

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The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation can be used to predict and explain some reasoning behind harassment of women by men in online gaming. SIDE explains that when members of an in-group are exposed to other members of that group, the self identities are lessened and they begin to behave in ways that reflect the group identity. This can easily be seen within computer mediated relations (Reicher, Levine, & Gordijn, 1998).

Within online relations, SIDE would state that through anonymity in computer-mediated platforms, the user may experience deindividuation; this is a feeling of distance from who they are and from the idea that the “other” is an actual person. The user then slips into their group membership stereotypes (like that of an aggressive, white male who dominates the gaming world) and behave in accordance to the stereotype (Tang & Fox, 2016).

It is clear that harassment has been and continues to be a problem in the online community. In particular, sexual harassment toward women is a substantial issue. SIDE works to predict why this harassment occurs to better understand the problem in an effort for resolve in the future (Tang & Fox, 2016). Other factors such as an over-sexualization of female characters in video games also plays into the normalcy of sexual harassment (Fox & Tang, 2014).

Along with the ideas of SIDE, men and women can fall into compliance of their gender stereotypes in online gaming. In this way, men are expected to be aggressive and powerful in their computer-mediated communication while women should be submissive and supportive. If these expectations are not followed, social consequences may occur. This is another explanation of the sexual harassment. Even this adherence is not always enough to escape harassment. One way that women have tried to combat getting harassed and having to abide by these stereotypes is by “covering” their gender by specifically choosing a male avatar or take measures to disguise that they are a woman (Holz Ivory, Fox, Franklin, & Ivory, 2014).

The following video talks about harassment that occurs toward women specifically because of their gender in the online gaming community. Violent threats, demeaning language, and blatant sexism occur and is demonstrated here. Personal accounts from women in the gaming community show that these are issues that should be addressed. The interview with Olajide Olatunji at 3:04 exhibits how SIDE can play a role in men grouping together to sexually harass female gamers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZMjGwjCAuQ

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The Dark Side Of Gaming - The Females Fighting Back | EXCLUSIVE

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In conclusion, the nature of online communication is that while a wide breadth of topics may be disclosed, it is usually not deep, intimate information. This lack of depth does not allow an individual to draw large conclusions about a person and therefore, should not foster overly negative feelings towards the other. If this is true, then the harassment of women by men in online games should not be seen as personal attacks. After drawing this conclusion, it leads to the belief that the harassment occurs on a surface level. By examining the problem with EVT, consequences of women violating the expectations of men may be a cause of the harassment. Most of the times, these violations are considered to be negative by the men’s standard. But why? SIDE predicts that many factors play into this negativity and sexism. For one, if men are sexist in the real world, then their sexism will be amplified in online gaming spaces. The principles of SIDE state that due to the anonymous nature of online gaming, in-groups – such as straight, white males – tend to lessen their own identities and morals and exhibit the behaviors of their in-groups. In this case, the behaviors are sexual harassment. Other factors come into play like social dominance orientation, over-sexualization of female characters, and hostile sexism. By examining these three communication theories in the context of online video games, the reasons for sexual harassment of women by male players can be predicted. While it is not a solution to the problem, it is a step in the right direction of understanding why it occurs. Perhaps if men and women are aware of the signs, they can begin to be nipped in the bud or self-analyzed. With more research like this occurring, a step toward equality for all in online gaming is in closer reach. The future in gaming is female!

https://h-heal.tumblr.com/post/141005842802/and-you-can-get-it-v-t-shirts-are-available-at

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Burgoon, J. K. (1993). Interpersonal Expectations, Expectancy Violations, and Emotional Communication. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 12(1-2), 30-48. doi: 10.1177/0261927X93121003

Fox, J., Tang, W. Y. (2014). Sexism in online video games: The role of conformity to masculine norms and social dominance orientation. Computers in Human Behavior, 33, 314-320. Doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.014

Hentschel, T., Braun, S., Peus, C., & Frey, D. (2018). The communality-bonus effect for male transformational leaders – leadership style, gender, and promotability. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 27(1), 112-125. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2017.1402759

Holz Ivory, A., Fox, J., Franklin Waddell, T., & Ivory, J. D. (2014). Sex role stereotyping is hard to kill: A field experiment measuring social responses to user characteristics and behavior in an online multiplayer first-person shooter game. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 148-156. Doi: 10.1016/J.CHB.2014.02.026

Hopp, T., & Fisher, J. (2017). Examination of the Relationship Between Gender, Performance, and Enjoyment of a First-Person Shooter Game. Simulation & Gaming, 48(3), 338-362. doi: 10.1177/1046878117693397

Lee, E.-J. (2004). Effects of gendered character representation on person perception and informational social influence in computer-mediated communication. Computers in Human Behavior, 20(6), 779-799. Doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2003.11.005

Posey, C., Lowry, P. B., Roberts, T. L., & Ellis, T. S. (2010). Proposing the online community self-disclosure model: the case of working professionals in France and the U.K. who use online communities. European Journal of Information Systems, 19(2), 181-195. Doi: 10.1057/ejis.2010.15

Reicher, S., Levine, R. M., & Gordijn, E. (1998). More on deindividuation, power relations between groups and the expression of social identity: Three studies on the effects of visibility to the in-group. British Journal of Social Psychology, 37(1), 15. Doi: 10.1111/J.2044-8309.1998.TB01155.X

Tang, J.-H., & Wang, C.-C. (2012). Self-Disclosure Among Bloggers: Re-Examination of Social Penetration Theory. CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(5), 245-250. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2011.0403

Tang, W. Y., & Fox, J. (2016). Men’s Harassment Behavior in Online Video Games: Personality Traits and Game Factors. Aggressive Behavior, 42(6), 513-521. Doi: 10.1002/ab.21646

Taylor, D. A., Altman, I. (1975). Self-Disclosure as a Function of Reward-Cost Outcomes. Sociometry, 38(1), 18. Doi: 10.2307/2786231

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https://observer.com/2012/08/sexism-in-gaming-isnt-a-joke-or-a-meme-says-a-gaming-tournament-founder-finally/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL0aVqVslSE

https://theawesomedaily.com/50-video-game-memes/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD3pvtvoUP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZMjGwjCAuQ

https://h-heal.tumblr.com/post/141005842802/and-you-can-get-it-v-t-shirts-are-available-at