A study carried out by an anti-bullying charity found that 57% of the young people it surveyed had experienced bullying online when playing games. In addition, 22% said they had stopped playing a game as a result.

Ditch the Label surveyed around 2,500 young members of the virtual hotel platform Habbo, aged between 12 and 25. Ditch the Label chief executive Liam Hackett said his charity was launching a global campaign to try to tackle the problem.

“Bullying within online gaming environments is a real issue,” he said.

“We are standing for acceptance and tolerance within our games and making the internet a better place.”

The report also found:

• 47% of those surveyed said they had been threatened in an online game
• 38% said they had been hacked within a game
• 74% said they would like the issue to be taken more seriously
• 29% said bullying and trolling did not affect their enjoyment of online games

Around half of the respondents said they believed extra human moderation would help prevent bullying from occurring.

“Online games are often violent and based upon conflict,” said Dr Ian Rivers, a psychologist at the University of Strathclyde.

“However this study also shows us that we also need to look at the ways in which people interact online while gaming.”

Anyone who has been affected by online bullying, or any other crime, can receive advice and support from Warwickshire Victim Support by contacting them on 01926 682 693, or via their website. 

You can also find advice and support from the following websites:

Childline

NSPCC

You & Co- Victim Supports Youth Programme

For more information about our work, please visit www.safeinwarwickshire.com/cybercrime

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.

ThinkUKnow is a national website which offers tailored advice to young people about online safety concerns. There is also a section on there if you are a parent/carer or a teacher who is concerned about a young person’s safety online.