Sexual Harassment Education Article

Guidelines

  • Do not share the link to this education portal with others, as this is a beta program that’s available to participants only.
  • If you were assigned a quiz, read the following article before taking it below. You will have 1 attempt to score a 80% or higher in order to pass.

You’re viewing this page because you’ve violated Twitch’s Community Guidelines on Sexual Harassment. We strive to foster an environment where people can express themselves. But harmful behavior, such as sexual harassment, hurts our community and makes Twitch less welcoming for everybody. As in all online communities, at Twitch, everyone has a role to play to support each other’s wellbeing and the health of their communities. Communication and creativity can’t happen if people don’t feel physically and emotionally safe.

So to help you understand what Twitch does not allow and to prevent you from being suspended again for violating Twitch’s guidelines against sexual harassment, we developed the information and quiz below. You’ll learn what sexual harassment is on Twitch, how it affects others and why it’s not allowed on the service.

As you work your way through this resource, you’ll find a brief FAQ and some examples of violating behavior, followed by a quiz. If you get at least 80% of the answers correct, we will reduce the length of your suspension.

Note: If you’re a streamer, you are responsible for ensuring that content that appears in your channel abides by our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. If content that violates our Sexual Harassment policies appears on your stream or in chat, even if it is shared by others, we expect you to take the necessary steps to deal with this behavior (i.e., warn the harasser or report/remove the content).

What is sexual harassment on Twitch?

Our Community Guidelines define sexual harassment as using sexual words and images that are unwelcome, disrespectful and/or abusive. It can include making sexual comments about someone’s body, insults about another person’s sexual life, or expressing a desire to do sexual acts to someone, regardless of their gender or gender presentation.

Why is sexual harassment harmful?

Sexual harassment harms people’s mental health and wellbeing. Victims can suffer from psychological and physical effects such as anxiety, depression, loss of self-esteem, stress-related sleep loss, weight loss or gain, nausea and sexual dysfunction.

Sexual harassment also affects the health of the community. It disempowers and silences people. It does that by making them feel unsafe to communicate and express themselves.

Some misconceptions around sexual harassment on Twitch

1. Sexual comments about another person’s body are OK because that’s a way people give compliments. FALSE

For example, it’s NOT OK to say “nice breasts” to a streamer. It makes the target feel like they’re only being seen as a body part rather than a person. These comments can affect a person’s self-respect and lead to body shaming and appearance anxiety.

2. Asking another person to do sexual acts is OK because it’s funny. FALSE

It’s possible that saying something like “kiss my feet please” or “spank me” could be taken as a joke, but it could also offend someone. When the target doesn’t respond, that can mean they don’t think it’s funny and you should stop. It doesn’t mean that they welcome this behavior or that you should continue.

3. It is OK to call someone a “slut” or a “whore” if they are sexually active. FALSE

No one should be shamed for engaging in consensual sexual activity or engaging in sexual expression. It is against Twitch’s Community Guidelines to engage in these types of attacks.

Some more examples of content that violates Twitch’s Sexual Harassment policy:

  • Making sexual comments about someone’s body parts or appearance (e.g., “you have huge breasts”)
  • Either verbally or in text, complimenting someone about how amazing they look even after you’ve been asked to stop
  • Whispering someone to ask them to do something sexual
  • Someone saying they want to do a sexual act to or with another person
  • Asking a streamer to take their clothes off on camera
  • Putting someone down by talking about their sexual health (e.g., “Oh wow, they have an STD”)
  • Suggesting someone sells naked pictures of themselves online because of what they wear
  • Saying someone’s channel is popular or hasn’t been suspended because they “sleep around” or just because they gave sexual favors
  • Sending someone unrequested nudes, sexually explicit photos, videos of themselves or anyone else – or even offering to do so
  • Continuing to ask about someone’s sexual experiences or history after being timed out for it in chat
  • Using emojis/emotes to reference sexual body parts or acts

    For more examples, click here.

What if I see someone – including my own guests or friends – sexually harassing another person?

First, you should be clear on what is and isn’t allowed on Twitch and take action – moderate or report behavior that violates the Community Guidelines. That alone will help your community stay welcoming or get better. If you see someone sexually harassing another person, report the behavior to Twitch or ban/time them out if you are a streamer or moderator. If that harasser is your friend, guest or someone you met in a game while streaming, tell them to stop or mute them if possible.

In addition to following the Community Guidelines, there are other good things to know and do: For example, people see how their peers speak and act on the service. When you model respectful behavior, you help change the social norms – the social conditions – of the community you’re in.

That is especially true for streamers because of their influence in the community. When that person – who could be you – acts respectfully, their behavior can have a powerful positive effect on the social norms of their community. You can help make it better for everyone.

What if I’m the target of sexual harassment?

If someone sexually harasses you, report it to Twitch. Do not respond by harassing them back – that can make things worse. If you really feel you need to respond, provide a link to Twitch’s Community Guidelines on sexual harassment.