Statistics have established that women have largely become part
of video game culture, however, as a result of gaming being
historically attributed as a hobby exclusive to men, many women
still report facing negative experiences, such as harassment
and gender-based discrimination (gendered harassment, GH),
which may discourage women from active participation, either
recreationally or professionally. My research project aimed to
explore female gamers’ experiences and their responses. A
series of interviews (N = 10) were conducted via Discord. The
sample size included women, women of colour, and a transgender
woman. Reflective thematic analysis (RTA) was employed for the
analysis. Results showed that women experience gendered
harassment via stereotypes. Most commonly, ‘E-Girl’ was used as
a stigmatising term to insult women. The forms of harassment
included verbal attacks, gameplay-related sabotage and threats
to women’s in-person safety. As for women’s responses, women
employed three main categories of responses: short-term
regulating responses; long-term regulating responses and
avoidant responses. Consequentially, harassment commonly led
towards their exclusion, worse mental health and heightened
self-criticism.