While people of many cultures play video games, that diversity is not usually reflected in the games themselves. White male characters dominate in the majority of popular games, while non-white characters often play the traditional supporting roles of sidekick or villain.
A 2001 study, Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games, from the US-based organization Children Now, examined a selection of the most popular games for the seven different game systems. It found that depictions of African American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American males were rare and white female characters outnumbered female characters of every racial group.
The majority of heroes were white males (86%) while non-white males were generally portrayed in stereotypical roles. Eight out of ten African American males were portrayed as competitors in sports games. Latinos only appeared in sports games, most of them baseball and seven out of ten Asian characters were portrayed as fighters or wrestlers.
Nearly nine out of ten (86%) African American females were victims of violence in the games that were surveyed. Their victimization rate was almost twice that of white females. In sports games, eight out of ten (79%) African American males engaged in physical and verbal aggression compared to only 57% of white competitors.
The interactivity of video games makes them a powerful medium for the negative messages that stereotypes can convey. Using the Talking to Kids About Racial Stereotypes handout (right sidebar) as a guide, parents should discuss negative racial portrayals with their children. Talk to them about what a stereotype is, why game developers use them, how racial stereotypes influence the way we perceive people from different ethnic backgrounds, and what steps can be taken to challenge negative portrayals.
By refusing to purchase or rent games that contain racial and gender stereotyping, consumers can send a powerful message to the industry. Raising awareness of the effect negative stereotyping could have on their bottom line may influence game developers to become more sensitive to negative portrayals in their games.
