From Pixels to Pain: A Systematic Literature Review on Cyberbullying in Online Gaming by Richa Yadav

Abstract

The online gaming community is increasing day by day with more and more players joining the league. However, the problem of cyberbullying is found to be consistent even in the present times. The research here is interested in investigating  more about the topic of cyberbullying but in context of the online gaming aspect. A total of 51 articles have been reviewed using the PRISMA framework. There are three aspects mainly investigated in the study – 1) factors impacting cyberbullying 2) forms and manifestations of cyberbullying and 3) impact on the players. The factors which are dominant include anonymity and lack of accountability, the presence of a competitive environment, peer influence and gender based biases. The most common form of bullying is verbal abuse followed by harassment which include sexual forms for female players, identity theft and exclusion. The impact caused is mostly psychological in nature with anxiety and depressive symptoms shown by the players and leads to behavioural impact as well that include being socially excluded and lowered self-esteem and confidence levels. The study has also provided a number of measures that can be used to lower down the levels of cyberbullying in online gaming.