Violence

Open Access: No.

Abstract

While sexual harm has been studied across a range of contexts, it has not yet been considered within the video game, streaming, and esports community. This study aimed to explore the landscape of sexual harm in this community, specifically, where it has been committed by esports professionals and video game live streamers. Fifty-five victim statements were extracted from online sources (such as Twitter/X and Reddit) and coded into variables relating to offender and victim demographics, offense characteristics, the offense process, and platform(s) used. Descriptive statistics were generated for each variable and Fisher’s exact tests were conducted to examine the differences between adult-on-adult and adult-on-child cases. The findings reveal diverse offense outcomes across the sample, ranging from rape to sexual communication with a child. Some offense patterns can be seen in wider sexual offending literature, such as pre-offense alcohol consumption, offending against incapacitated victims (e.g., sleeping), and offending within an established romantic relationship. However, several offense process characteristics unique to the video gaming community were identified. These included offenders using their position of fame within the community to access victims and bypass the need for other coercive behaviors. Online offenses were more common with children and offenders demonstrated a preference for “live” methods, such as voice chat and video calling, rather than instant messaging or sharing images of themselves. This limits the digital evidence left behind and indicates the offenders’ greater technological literacy. The study’s findings shed light on the sexual harm that exists within this previously unexplored context and highlight areas where esports organizations, live-streaming platforms, and educational providers can do more to safeguard players, fans, and viewers in this community.

Relevance

“The findings of this study show a range of sexual harm occurring in the video game, streaming, and esports community, including rape, sexual assault, child sexual offenses, grooming, and image-based offenses. Additionally, almost half of the victims discussed how they became aware of other victims of the same offender in the time between being victimized and writing their statement. These findings highlight the significant extent of the problem within this community and the urgent need for protection measures.”

“A number of findings from the research also demonstrate offense process behaviors that appear to be unique to the video game, live streaming, and esports community…For example, the identification of tournaments, conventions, and the events and venues linked to them as risky locations has not previously been raised in the literature. Additionally, offenders using their fame status as part of the offense process is not evident in wider research findings. Many of the offenders were live streamers or esports professionals, often with large followings and fans. Victims expressed feeling “lucky” that someone many people (including themselves) look up to was interested in them. This allowed the offender, particularly in cases involving children, to largely bypass some elements of the grooming process, such as establishing trust and rapport.”

“One surprising finding was the high number of adult victims involved in streaming. The victims in these cases were often just starting out or had a low number of followers compared to the offender. This suggests well-known (particularly male) streamers target less-known female streamers, offering help and support to gain their trust, before exploiting them.”

“The frequency of in-person offending behavior was low in cases involving children…Instead, offenders tend to use online methods, as they can maintain contact with the victim even when they are at home with their parents/carers. Both online sexual communication and sharing of sexual imagery were common in cases involving children. Additionally, offenders encouraged young people to use “live” communication methods, such as voice chat and video calling, particularly for more serious offending behavior.”

Citation

Merry, O. J., & Whitfield, K. C. (2025). The Landscape of Sexual Harm in the Video Game, Streaming, and Esports Community. Journal of interpersonal violence, 40(13-14), 3307–3332. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605241271349