Online bullies target games
MORE than half of children and young people have been bullied while playing online games, research suggests.
A survey of 2,500 aged 12-25 found 57 per cent had been bullied while playing a game, and 22 per cent have stopped playing as a result.
Anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label said many victims are also being bullied by peers at school and seek refuge in the online community.
When bullies target them in the cyber world too, the victims can feel isolated and alone, campaigners said.
Liam Hackett, the founder of the charity, added: ‘People who are subjected to bullying offline are some of the biggest consumers of the internet and technology. They are subsequently more likely to use online games for escapism and to be free of ridicule and abuse.’ One 16-year-old gamer, Bailey Mitchell, told the BBC he had been regularly bullied and even received death threats while playing online games since the age of ten.
He said: ‘Every other game you’re in, there’s always someone who has a mic or types [on their keyboard]. They’ll call you some random abusive thing they can think of.’
The survey was conducted with users of Habbo, a virtual hotel platform. Almost three quarters of those surveyed said online bullying in games should be taken more seriously.