Sexual Harrassment of Female Players

Musedbyjava·Oct 27, 2014·9 votes·1,742 views

Over the past few weeks I've seen some pretty disgusting examples. As a female gamer, my anatomy should never be the topic of discussion in the middle of a game, especially if the topic of conversation was unsolicited and is unwanted. I shouldn't feel the need to defend my gender or ward off attacks of prepubescent trolls asking for beaver shots. It's disgusting. I don't know how your parents raised you. Do you think your mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, girlfriend, or wife would appreciate being asked to strip down and take a porn shot to trade characters in ARAM? I bet not and guess what it just happened to me and another girl. While we may be fewer in numbers, we still pay the same prices for skins and play the game the same as you. We deserve the respect that we give you.

25 Comments

8bj2yMEanNOct 27, 20146 votes

I really can't tell you're a troll or not... Based on the content I would say yes but based on your name I would say no.

In case you're not a troll... ... "defend my gender"? That makes no sense... "ward off attacks"? Ever heard of just fucking ignoring or muting people? Get some thicker skin. "we still pay the same prices for skins"? EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THAT HAS ANY RELEVANCE I've played around 800 normals and around 500 arams, and I can't remember a single time I've seen someone harass someone because they were female. Maybe you shouldn't include your gender in your name if you don't want to be harassed about it, you seem like trollbait to me.

DreddethOct 27, 20144 votes

Classy as F-CK

Do you tell women on the street to not use feminine names if they don't want to be harassed?

Of course, not, because you'd be put in physical and social danger, but like many before you, you use the internet's existence as an excuse to behave like a degenerate.

MorikTheMadOct 27, 20144 votes

Saying "get a thicker skin" is not helpful. If it were a few isolated incidents maybe such a comment would make sense, maybe not. The problem is it is CONSTANT. You don't know what that is like (neither do I; I'm a guy). But I've been hearing a lot of research on this; women are harassed online something like 100x as often as guys are.

Do you have any idea how demoralizing it is when in practically every game someone is being vile to them just cause they are female? They shouldn't have to hit ignore in every game, and telling them to just ignore it is you ignoring the problem.

If you look at 100 random people doing some activity they enjoy, and then experiment by harassing half of them constantly, and leaving the other half mostly alone, what do you think will happen? The ones being harassed will likely do that activity less often. They certainly won't have as much fun, even if they have ways to shut off the harassment (which they have to do for each individual incident...)

How is it fair to say "well tough shit, just fucking ignore it"?

Do you ever get upset with someone who is harassing you? EVER? Imagine if you had 100x the harassment coming at you, constantly.

"Maybe you shouldn't include your gender in your name if you don't want to be harassed"--that is bullshit. What kind of society do you want to live in? One where half the population has to hide their gender in order to not be harassed constantly? Seriously?

Think about it another way: what if this was someone with a name like "BlackDude", and was getting harassed like crazy by stupid racists. Would you tell them "well if you don't wanna get harassed don't put your race in your name, you are just baiting for trolls"?

How is this different?

MusedbyjavaOct 27, 20144 votes

It isn't just for me that I'm posting this. There are young girls on here. Younger than teenagers. Sure the parents have responsibility to make sure their kids are safe and to monitor what they are doing but they shouldn't even be subjected to it in the first place.

I've been gaming since I was 7-8 years old. I'm 41. Women aren't new to gaming but when I was growing up we were often shamed for it because our parents would say it was a pass time for a boy or that we needed to go outside for more sunlight. :P

Any kind of defaming, degrading, and downright abuse of someone based on race, gender, religion, shouldn't be tolerated here. I was just more thoroughly disgusted that this one particular person thought it was perfectly okay to demand naked pictures for a trade. I don't care if it was in jest (though it shouldn't be).

I find it pretty sad that some of the men posting here are actually telling us to get over it. "Get thicker skin" I have thick skin, trust me I've been called worse and have heard worse but I shouldn't have to deal with it here on a regular basis. You are condoning this behavior by blaming it on the person who is getting mistreated.

I work with some pretty beaten down women. Abused women. I try to teach them that they are strong, to defend themselves, and to seek help when they need it. What kind of message would I send to them if I said well... perhaps you didn't make food correctly or you shouldn't run your mouth. If you have the balls to ask someone for something that you have no business requesting, what's to stop you from doing it outside of the internet? You can be jailed for it. Labeled a sex offender. So because there is anonymity here... it's ok? You should get away with it? Nope I don't think so.

JorenciceOct 27, 20143 votes

It isn't just for me that I'm posting this. There are young girls on here. Younger than teenagers. Sure the parents have responsibility to make sure their kids are safe and to monitor what they are doing but they shouldn't even be subjected to it in the first place.

I've been gaming since I was 7-8 years old. I'm 41. Women aren't new to gaming but when I was growing up we were often shamed for it because our parents would say it was a pass time for a boy or that we needed to go outside for more sunlight. :P

Any kind of defaming, degrading, and downright abuse of someone based on race, gender, religion, shouldn't be tolerated here. I was just more thoroughly disgusted that this one particular person thought it was perfectly okay to demand naked pictures for a trade. I don't care if it was in jest (though it shouldn't be).

I find it pretty sad that some of the men posting here are actually telling us to get over it. "Get thicker skin" I have thick skin, trust me I've been called worse and have heard worse but I shouldn't have to deal with it here on a regular basis. You are condoning this behavior by blaming it on the person who is getting mistreated.

I work with some pretty beaten down women. Abused women. I try to teach them that they are strong, to defend themselves, and to seek help when they need it. What kind of message would I send to them if I said well... perhaps you didn't make food correctly or you shouldn't run your mouth. If you have the balls to ask someone for something that you have no business requesting, what's to stop you from doing it outside of the internet? You can be jailed for it. Labeled a sex offender. So because there is anonymity here... it's ok? You should get away with it? Nope I don't think so.

..... i can walk up to any women at anytime and tell them to give me picture of their tits. As long as i dont ask it repeatdly/follow them/touch them etc etc. You CANT be jailed for it nor will you be labeled a sexual offender.

And trust me riot is banning these people. Hell even in the tribunal homophobia and sexism had almost a 100 percent ban rate.

DrukyulOct 27, 20143 votes

There are young girls on here. Younger than teenagers.

T FOR TEEN

Squeaky DreemurrOct 27, 20143 votes

Saying "get a thicker skin" is not helpful. If it were a few isolated incidents maybe such a comment would make sense, maybe not. The problem is it is CONSTANT. You don't know what that is like (neither do I; I'm a guy). But I've been hearing a lot of research on this; women are harassed online something like 100x as often as guys are.

Do you have any idea how demoralizing it is when in practically every game someone is being vile to them just cause they are female? They shouldn't have to hit ignore in every game, and telling them to just ignore it is you ignoring the problem.

If you look at 100 random people doing some activity they enjoy, and then experiment by harassing half of them constantly, and leaving the other half mostly alone, what do you think will happen? The ones being harassed will likely do that activity less often. They certainly won't have as much fun, even if they have ways to shut off the harassment (which they have to do for each individual incident...)

How is it fair to say "well tough shit, just fucking ignore it"?

Do you ever get upset with someone who is harassing you? EVER? Imagine if you had 100x the harassment coming at you, constantly.

"Maybe you shouldn't include your gender in your name if you don't want to be harassed"--that is bullshit. What kind of society do you want to live in? One where half the population has to hide their gender in order to not be harassed constantly? Seriously?

Think about it another way: what if this was someone with a name like "BlackDude", and was getting harassed like crazy by stupid racists. Would you tell them "well if you don't wanna get harassed don't put your race in your name, you are just baiting for trolls"?

How is this different?

What practical solution would you suggest, and how would it be implemented?

MorikTheMadOct 27, 20143 votes

I do not have a practical solution to suggest. And while "just ignore them" is indeed a practical suggestion, the tone in which he said it (surrounded by implications of "WTF is wrong with you" and "stop being stupid") indicated to me that he had very much missed an important point.

The OP didn't seem to be asking for a practical solution to keep her from being harassed. It seems to me she was saying that this is a problem, and that women shouldn't be getting harassed in this manner.

AJStarhikerOct 27, 20146 votes

You're right, it's not acceptable. Comments like that do get punished (at least in League they do) if they are reported. Unfortunately, there's no way to predict who is going to say that stuff and preemptively mute/ban them. Or people who intentionally type things in a way that bypass the language filters. Riot is doing what they can to clean up the game, but it's a long process and it's fighting a culture that gets reinforced in too many other games (Just check the archived forums for the "But I've never been in trouble in video game X!" posts.

DreddethOct 27, 20145 votes

Really, all this grandfather-clause misogyny needs to stop. It's proven that the gamer/nerd subculture is independent of gender, so at this point all sexism really does is make the rest of us look bad by association.

And remember kids, only you can report toxic players.

ComannderShepardOct 27, 20145 votes

Look, im sorry but the internet is pretty awful and you're going to get this pretty much on any online game, not just league. What's the reason for telling people your gender anyways?

MusedbyjavaOct 27, 20142 votes

We had a girl named Elsie on our team. Many people know me from Aram. They know my daughter as well. They assume that I'm female because of my name (I work for social services and I'm a mom). Believe it or not it happens a lot. Also the relevance of my mentioning that we pay the same costs. There has been little to know protection against it. I'm a pretty calm person. I usually try to mediate when team mates are fighting or there is an issue but you see very little by way of defense of women when this crap happens.

TroIIIiNOct 27, 20143 votes

1)Mute people 2)Play the gorram game

This is a game on the freaking Internet. People do not act the same way, because they can troll people huehuehuehuehuehue with little to no repercussions. Have you ever read a Youtube comment section. People that post on non-discussion forums, anywhere else on the Internet, are trolls.

If it bothers you, ask RIOT to let you change your name for free. They might if you are being harassed. Besides "WELFAREMOMMY" means something really different to me than you description. I would of never guessed ever that you work for social services. You are a mother getting upset from high school teenagers letting off their sexual aggression on the Internet rather than in public. (mainly because in public they'd get their teeth kicked in, or expelled, ect...)

MusedbyjavaOct 27, 20142 votes

They'd get jailed and labeled sex offenders as they rightfully should. Who cares if it is the internet. There are cyber bullying laws in place to prevent people from harassment. I don't care if they are teenagers letting off sexual aggression, there is kleenex and a bedroom for that. You have no right to assume that it is ok to ask a woman you do not know for naked pics. It's tacky.

TroIIIiNNov 29, 20142 votes

First, I believe it's wrong . I am on your side, but I down voted for extreme hyperbole. You are blowing things out of proportion. Secondly, a 12 year old kid is not going to get labeled a sex offender for written verbal sexual harassment. As for your original post; yes, there are bad parents that let their kids do that crap.

Your comment "kleenex and a bedroom for that." would be considered grounds for sexual harassment. If anything, since you are referring that to children "minors," you are probably breaking a law yourself.

I went to private school transferred to what was considered a well behaved public high school. I can tell you the things high school boys spoke about to just each other shocked me. Different language among peers. Seriously, they TREAT EACH OTHER LIKE THAT! It's not just women they treat the same sex equally--I guess that's EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. The Internet allows for the worse of it.

I avoid Black Friday like the plague, cliche, I know. But I had to run to Walmart for medicine from the Pharmacy. I saw two random fat kids trying to pick fights with people. easily 13, 14 years of age by themselves. Calling people douche, f'ing tards. There are terrible people out there, and the Internet is the last place to consider wasting your energy, because of KEYBOARD WARRIORS. All we can do is try to better our real life communities, and be a proper example for the youth.

Take solemn knowing that those kids won't make anything of themselves, because of how crappie our gov't system is, how crappie our education system is, how crappie parents they have, and how crappie of an outlook they have in their lives. Reaching silver 5 may be the most gratification of success that they will ever have. Does that make you feel better? Or do you still want them to rot in a jail as well? Oh, now I'm showing hyperbole, oh pooperscoopper.

Creamy SeamanOct 27, 20142 votes

you're not "kawaii" as the weebs would say.

MarrowEightOct 27, 20142 votes

first off how do they even know your a girl to provoke these topics?

just don't even respond to the nastyness

MusedbyjavaOct 27, 20142 votes

Girl's name was Elsie. Unless you're a cow one would assume you were a girl.

NarasimhaOct 27, 20141 votes

Why did your gender even come up in the first place? No one cares unless you brought it up.

DSRM MobiusOct 27, 20142 votes

I disagree I've seen a lot of guys be mean to girls in game just because there girls, I don't take that crap from those toxic players I stand up for those players.

MusedbyjavaOct 27, 20142 votes

Our other girl asked to trade because she really wasn't good with Yi. She told that to our teammates. When asking to trade one of the guys said well send me a shot of your "pussy" and I'll trade. I defended her and he asked for mine as well. It's nuts. Because he was such a pain in the rear and refused to trade, well... we lost. He was toxic, I reported him. Nothing is done.

DrukyulOct 27, 20144 votes

When asking to trade one of the guys said well send me a shot of your "pussy" and I'll trade.

And if your username was DeadbeatDad420 the guy would have said "SMD and I'll trade, faggot".

JorenciceOct 27, 20143 votes

Our other girl asked to trade because she really wasn't good with Yi. She told that to our teammates. When asking to trade one of the guys said well send me a shot of your "pussy" and I'll trade. I defended her and he asked for mine as well. It's nuts. Because he was such a pain in the rear and refused to trade, well... we lost. He was toxic, I reported him. Nothing is done.

You see males recive the same treatment. I cant count the number of times somone told me they were going to kill me and rape my mom. Hell if anything just being asked for pics is even less vile than the stuff ALL OF US put up with.

I mean hell laugh it off say sure heres my number call me and give him the rejection hotline number. Hes just a dumbass 12 year old troll if that doesnt shut him up mute him.

MarthianOct 27, 20142 votes

Because of her IGN. Sometimes I get shenanigans for my name (everyone thinks it has no H...)

KlNGPlNNov 29, 20141 votes

It is the internet. People can and will do as they please. If you are not old enough to handle such language or environments, should you be here in the first place? I had the understanding that you had to be 13+ in order to play league. I would think someone, even at that young age, is smart enough to realize that most people are tools on the internet and can easily be ignored. It is only a problem if you LET it be a problem. There is a report function for a reason. Take comfort in the fact that people who are ignorant enough to spit out crap like that over the internet are likely just as big of an idiot IRL. Shun them all.