Video Games Virtual Wasteland For Racial & Gender Diversity.

Most of the top-selling video games offer very little racial and gender diversity, according to a comprehensive study conducted by Children Now, a child research and action organization. White characters were the only human characters found in young children’s games. Nearly all of the heroes were white and female characters were severely under-represented in video games, accounting for only 16 percent of human characters.

The study, Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games, found a lack of role diversity for females and characters of color. Female characters were most likely to be portrayed as props or bystanders (50 percent). Almost all African American females (86 percent) were victims of violence; African American and Latino men were typically athletes; and Asian/Pacific Islanders were usually wrestlers or fighters. In addition, there were no Latina characters.

Preponderance of violence
The study also found that 89 percent of video games that were examined contained violent content, almost half of which frequently resulted in visible harm to the characters in fighting, sports, strategy or action games. A recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children’s exposure to violent media, including video games, could lead to future aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence.

The study also discovered that video game ratings can be misleading. The Children Now study found that more than three fourths (79 percent) of the games analyzed that were rated “E” for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) contained violence. More than one fourth (28 percent) of the E-rated games frequently included images of harm or injury. The ESRB considers “E” rated games appropriate for players ages six and older.

“The dearth of racial and gender diversity and the predominance of violence in top-selling video games send negative messages to children,” said Children Now president, Lois Salisbury. “This holiday season, as parents buy entertainment gifts for their children, they should not assume that ratings or brand names are a substitute for their own judgment about what is best for their children.”

Few “girl-friendly features”
The study also found that few of the top-selling games contained features found to be appealing to girls, such as female-controlled characters, the ability to create something and cooperative play. Sixty one percent of games featured less than half of the elements that girls enjoy. The study found that personal computer (PC) games were the most likely of any of the game systems to contain “girl-friendly” features.

“Research shows that girls prefer different video game features than boys,” said Dr. Katharine E. Heintz-Knowles, who conducted the study for Children Now. “Being comfortable with and enjoying video games and computers may help girls develop an interest in careers in technology, a field in which women are significantly under-represented.”

Among the other key findings of the study:

Female character roles and behaviors were frequently stereotyped, with females more likely than males to scream, to wear revealing clothing, and to share, help or nurture.
The negative consequences of violence were rarely shown, with most victims appearing unaffected by the aggressive acts committed against them.

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REPORTS:

View Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games (HTML)
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/

View: Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games (PDF) 1615k
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/fair-play-2001.pdf

CHARTS (all in PDF):

View the Top Player-Controlled Character Roles Chart (4k)
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/top-roles.pdf

View the Race of Player-Controlled Characters Chart (4k)
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/race-roles.pdf

View the Race of Player-Controlled Characters (by Gender) Chart (4k)
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/race-roles-2.pdf

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION :

View Consumer Tips for Parents (HTML)
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/consumer-tips.htm

View Suggestions for Video Game Makers (HTML)
http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/suggestions.htm