DCU launches videogame resource for teens to tackle sexism and sexual and gender-based abuse online
The game was developed by a consortium of academics, teachers and game designers in Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Turkey, Romania and Portugal.
The resource, which was funded by the Erasmus Plus programme of the European Union and developed through the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, was created in response to growing levels of sexual and gender-based abuse and harassment experienced by young people.
Invited guest speaker Prof Aphra Kerr, of Maynooth University, gave a compelling keynote address on the history and educational potential of games. The launch was attended by key stakeholders working in the areas of gender equality and Relationships and Sexuality Education, as well as by large numbers of Transition Year students from Clonturk Community College, the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland (CTYI), Dublin Youth Theatre and Sphere 17.
According to lead researcher Dr. Debbie Ging, pre-game development research conducted in each country by the project partners revealed that young people had a number of common concerns in relation to their social media use and everyday lives. These were coercive control and jealousy in relationships, receiving unwanted sexual images and pressure to send nudes, the sexualisation of girls and women online, girls’ exclusion from sport, sexism in gaming, homophobia and being judged on one’s appearance. “We developed the game scenarios and activities specifically to tackle these issues”, said Dr. Ging.
GenTOPIA is set in a SIMS type world, segmented into different aspects of daily life – school, sport, social life, social media and home. Although the gameverse is fictional, it is based on a series of relatable scenarios which address gender stereotypes, consent, digital safety, street harassment, coercive control, non-consensual image sharing, and homophobic bullying.
The central character of the game is Mia, a native of GenTOPIA, which is a confederation of gender-equal planets. She is sent to Earth to see if it qualifies as sufficiently gender-equal to join GenTOPIA. Mia’s mission is to rectify inequalities, thus ensuring that Earth can join GenTOPIA, and she can finally return to her own planet. She accompanies a group of young people through 9 scenarios and game activities, observing everyday life on Earth through the eyes of an outsider.
According to Dr. Ging, “We know from previous research that scenario-based learning is really effective – it gives students a safe space to hypothesise about imaginary characters but also allows them to put themselves into the scenario to figure out how they might react.” Dr. Ging and Research Assistant Derek Laffan from the Anti-Bullying Centre believe the game makes difficult issues easier for RSE teachers to tackle. “It covers topics that might normally be awkward, but because the scenarios and activities are so engaging, it takes some of the pressure off the teacher, and allows students to work on additional activities in smaller groups”, said Dr. Ging.
