This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A new UEL research project is exploring practical ways to reduce antisocial and harmful behavior in online gaming while helping platforms create more positive and inclusive experiences for young players. "You would not expect people to say what they say in chats.
Like, if he was in person, no way they'd be saying that," one young gamer told researchers. Early findings suggest antisocial behavior in gaming exists on a spectrum rather than as a single behavior. Researchers found that toxic and positive behaviors often coexist within gaming communities, with the same players shifting between supportive and harmful interactions depending on the environment, game and competitive pressures involved.
"If we care about young people's well-being, we can't ignore the digital spaces where they spend so much of their time," said professor Julia Davidson OBE, principal investigator and director of the Child Online Harms Policy Think Tank (COHPTT). "This research includes a large national study of young people's experiences on gaming platforms to better understand how antisocial behavior can be prevented. This research is about working directly with young people to build safer online environments." Women and girls were disproportionately targeted by antisocial behavior, and gendered experiences emerged as a theme across all 10 focus groups conducted with 46 young people ages 12–19.
Both female and male participants mentioned them. But young people also described the important role gaming can play in their lives, providing connection, relaxation and escape. One participant said, "As I got older, I became disabled and now I'm housebound.
Gaming is my way to connect with people. The other day I had a campfire with some people, and I won't be able to do that in person because I can't leave the house. I like being in online lobbies with other people." Another said, "I play because I need something to help me take my mind off of everything else that goes on in my life, you know, just a way to escape my personal life and relax." UEL is working directly with young gamers and industry experts to identify practical ways to tackle antisocial behavior while helping platforms create safer, healthier and more inclusive experiences for young players.
The multistage Understanding and Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour Amongst a Diverse Group of Adolescent Gamers project focuses not only on understanding harmful behavior but also on identifying realistic, evidence-based solutions that could improve online gaming environments. The project will now enter a national data-gathering phase, aiming to capture young people's experiences online and provide the gaming industry with recommendations for more proactive "safety-by-design" approaches. The research team has already completed a systematic literature review, more than 10 expert interviews and 10 focus groups with young people ages 12–19, alongside a secondary analysis of the international CC-DRIVER dataset involving 8,000 young people.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
