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This study explores the intersection of gender, identity, and symbolic violence in online multiplayer video games, focusing on the prevalence and impact of hate speech. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach that combines digital semiotics, statistical analysis, and intersectional theory. Using gender and sexual orientation as variables, the research analyses data from 1,049 young people in a region of Spain. The findings reveal three distinct sociocultural profiles, heterosexual men, heterosexual women, and LGB+ individuals, each experiencing different levels of exposure to, participation in, and victimisation by hate speech. Heterosexual men show the highest rates of both exposure and perpetration suggesting a masculinisation of hate, while LGB+ individuals face dual vulnerability due to gender and sexual orientation. The study highlights the performative and semiotic dimensions of digital hate, showing how avatars, usernames, and communicative practices reinforce exclusionary dynamics. It concludes by advocating for culturally sensitive algorithmic moderation and intersectional digital literacy policies to counteract the normalisation of symbolic violence in gaming environments.
Esteban-Ramiro et al. (Mon,) studied this question.