Harassment of Women and Marginalised Genders in UK Esports – Hayburn (ERNC25) скачать в хорошем качестве

Harassment of Women and Marginalised Genders in UK Esports – Hayburn (ERNC25)

This presentation by Jessica Hayburn from Leeds Beckett University examines the prevalence, burden, and impact of harassment experienced by women and marginalised genders within the UK esports ecosystem. Despite rapid growth in the UK esports industry, women and marginalised genders remain underrepresented and disproportionately exposed to harassment and discrimination. While women constitute nearly half of UK gamers, existing surveys and prior research indicate high levels of online abuse, sexual harassment, and exclusion in gaming and esports contexts. However, empirical research specifically addressing the prevalence and impact of harassment in esports remains limited, restricting evidence based interventions. This study aimed to assess how harassment affects self rated performance, engagement, drop out intentions, and perceptions of gender identity among women and marginalised gender participants in UK esports. It also sought to contribute empirical data to a research area that remains heavily male dominated. A cross sectional prevalence and burden design was employed. Current esports players who identified as women or marginalised genders completed an online questionnaire capturing experiences of harassment, time loss, drop out intentions, self rated performance, and perceptions of gender identity. Among the 30 participants, including cisgender women, transgender women, and a transgender man, over 90 percent reported experiencing harassment on a weekly basis. Results showed a moderate negative association between harassment frequency and self rated performance, with more than 30 percent of participants reporting time away from esports due to harassment. Interestingly, a moderate negative association was also observed between harassment frequency and drop out intentions. The findings provide early empirical evidence of the prevalence and consequences of harassment targeting women and marginalised genders in UK esports, reinforcing existing qualitative research on its detrimental effects on performance and engagement. The study also contributes to addressing gender imbalances in the current esports research landscape. These results highlight the continued need for esports stakeholders, governing bodies, and developers to implement meaningful policies and support mechanisms to create safer and more inclusive competitive environments. Keywords: gender, discrimination, esports, performance, inclusion About the ERN Conference 2025: The Esports Research Network Conference 2025 took place online from November 12–14, 2025 as a continuous, 72-hour global livestream. Guided by the theme “Future Realities: Esports as a Global Lab,” the event explored how esports serves as a living laboratory for understanding digital transformation across education, media, technology, and society. This innovative digital-first format followed the sun across three regional hubs, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania & Michigan State University (Americas), Staffordshire University (EMEA), and UNSW Sydney (Asia-Pacific), creating a nonstop, interconnected academic experience available to participants worldwide. This ambitious production was made possible through the support of Corsair for Business, whose Elgato technology powered high-quality broadcasting and seamless livestreaming across all three hubs. ERNC25 continues the network’s mission to unite scholars, practitioners, and students while fostering open, global collaboration in esports research. Full abstracts for all presentations can be viewed in the official Book of Abstracts at: https://book.esportsresearch.net Website: https://esportsresearch.net