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Cybersmile Plans for Safety, Inclusion and Empowerment in Gaming

Hopefully you’ve been keeping up with our latest news, so you’ll already know about our exciting new partnership with Intel, helping to improve diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. As promised, we’d like to inform you about what part of this great collaboration will look like.

For a while now, Cybersmile have been noticing and tackling a serious issue with gender inequality and digital abuse within the gaming industry. There is a real problem in this area, well highlighted in the media thanks to 2014’s #GamerGate storm, with cyberbullying of women and girls taking place distinctly across the community. In 2015, we want to tackle this head on, and we’re looking forward to kicking off a serious focus on improving inclusion and safety for currently under represented groups – making the gaming world a happier place for everyone.

Working with Intel, we have established a series of goals, starting in 2015 and continuing throughout the five year diversity initiative:

  1. Triple the number of women and young girls we help to deal with digital abuse and cyberbullying with programs focused on providing support, education and legal advice.
  2. Provide guidance and advice for women and young girls experiencing problems, particularly with gaming platforms.
  3. Develop a gaming specific section on our website for guidance and information relating to the gaming and tech industry.
  4. Provide educational resources to give young girls and women the knowledge and confidence to process risks effectively and apply practical coping strategies to digital abuse and cyberbullying.
  5. Empowering women and young girls through direct engagement using strategic viral campaigning, digital media channels and concentrating on installing and re-installing digital confidence and self worth. User generated activities and campaigns with user based actions and participation.

To enable us to provide the best advice and support to the gaming community, we will be consulting with other partners from the Diversity in Technology initiative, including the International Game Developers Association. We’re also excited to have our newest Digital ambassador, pro-gamer Stephanie Harvey, on board to really help us make a positive impact on cyberbullying and digital abuse in gaming.

We hope that through our latest projects we will be able to inject a bumper dose of #POSITIVITY into gaming in 2015. Press start players, we’re ready for you.

What do you think of our plans for supporting diversity in gaming? Have you experienced discrimination or digital abuse in the gaming community? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting us over at @CybersmileHQ. If you’d like to share your story or gaming-related message on our blog, email us at [email protected].

Whoever you are, if you’re experiencing problems connected to cyberbullying you can always get in touch with us. Alternatively, visit our Help Centre for lots of practical advice for dealing with issues.