Designing for Safer Play: How GGReport Fights
Gender-Based Harassment in Games
Online games connect millions of people worldwide — they’re creative, social, and endlessly fun. But for many women, these spaces also come with a darker side: harassment, exclusion, and everyday sexism that often go unreported.In my research “Violência simbólica de gênero nos jogos digitais: proposta de solução para registro de casos de assédio,” I explored how symbolic gender violence manifests in digital games — and how design can help address it. The result was GGReport, a tool to make it easier and safer for players to report cases of gender-based harassment.
Understanding Symbolic Violence in Games
Symbolic gender violence isn’t always visible. It’s the subtle but persistent behaviors — sexist jokes, dismissive comments, exclusion — that reinforce stereotypes and normalize discrimination.
For women in gaming, these experiences are often brushed off as “just jokes” or “normal gamer talk.” But they create an environment that silences players and limits participation.
Despite the frequency of these incidents, few are ever reported. Many players fear backlash, don’t trust the reporting systems, or simply don’t have a quick, accessible way to document what happened.
From Research to Design
To understand this issue in depth, I used a mixed-method approach combining:
Netnography – observing interactions within gaming communities to see how gendered behavior plays out.
Focus groups – listening to female gamers describe their experiences, frustrations, and needs.
Requirements analysis – identifying what users expect from a reporting system that actually works for them.
Technical exploration – figuring out the right tools to make the experience simple and responsive.
This process revealed that players need an immediate, private, and low-effort way to report symbolic violence — something that fits naturally into their gaming routines.
The Solution: GGReport
GGReport is a hybrid system — combining a web platform and a desktop app — designed to let users quickly and safely report incidents of symbolic gender violence while gaming.
Its core features include:
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Fast and lightweight reporting, so users don’t have to leave the game.
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Anonymity and privacy, ensuring safety and trust.
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Contextual capture, allowing users to describe what happened, when, and in which environment.
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Data aggregation, helping moderators and researchers identify recurring patterns of abuse.
By blending usability, psychology, and ethics, GGReport transforms the act of reporting from a burden into a natural part of responsible play.
The Design Challenges
Creating GGReport came with its share of challenges:
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Balancing disruption vs. immediacy — how to intervene without breaking immersion.
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Ensuring privacy and data security — designing trust into every step.
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Avoiding legalistic language — allowing players to tell their stories in their own words.
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Building adaptability — a system flexible enough to grow with platforms, genres, and communities.
Each decision was guided by a core question: How can design empower users to speak up, not silence them further?
Why It Matters
GGReport is more than a tool — it’s a statement about inclusion, empathy, and accountability in gaming culture.
By designing systems that make space for safety, we remind players that digital environments are not detached from real-world values. Harassment may happen behind screens, but its impact is very real.
What’s Next
There’s still room to grow. Future versions of GGReport could explore:
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Real-time moderation alerts
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Integration with streaming and social platforms
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Community dashboards for transparency
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Machine learning for proactive detection of harmful patterns
As gaming continues to evolve, so must our tools for protecting players and fostering respect.
Final Thoughts
Design isn’t just about visuals or usability — it’s about shaping human behavior. With GGReport, I wanted to show how thoughtful design can make digital spaces fairer, safer, and more inclusive.
Because everyone deserves to play freely — without fear, bias, or silence.