The core of the e-Police Station is the media idea.

In practical terms, it’s a mod that hacks a media that’s native to games to create an unprecedented interface.

This simple interactive banner connects games with real-world police stations.

Without leaving the game, women can now file an official police report.

It’s a simple media, reframed as an innovative media format: a bridge between the game and the police.

The e-Police Station is an effective step toward putting an end to harassers' impunity.

A hack that improves the gaming experience for all female players.

Now, virtual harassment has real consequences.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

Unfortunately, in-game harassment is a universal problem.

It happens in all sorts of games. And it happens across the world.

But there’s an important cultural factor that’s relevant for Brazil.

Since 1985, in response to unacceptable levels of gender-based violence, Brazil has had “women’s police stations”: stations set aside exclusively to address crimes committed against women.

Those levels of violence persist online. Studies, such as by NGO Plan International, have shown that around 80% of women have been harassed online. This is the most common form of violence inflicted on women.

The e-Police Station is designed to feed directly into those “women’s police stations.”

That makes the reports filed through the program even more effective. After all, they’re received, evaluated, and investigated by specialists in the field.

Another important cultural factor is that in Brazil, those police stations accept online reports, which can be filed on their sites.

What the e-Police Station does is connect that reporting interface with the game.

Giving women gamers an easy-to-use defense mechanism within the game itself.

GAMING CONTEXT

Some games allow players to file abuse reports. But the punishment – if there is any – is restricted to the environment of the game.

In other words: while victims suffer real consequences (anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts), their harassers get virtual slaps on the wrist (temporary bans or, at most, user bans).

And that’s completely disproportional.

If there are real consequences for victims, there have to be real consequences for harassers.

SITUATION

Everyone in the gaming community knows a female gamer who’s been harassed.

But you hardly ever hear of a gamer who’s been punished for harassment.

Sadly, that’s the status quo in most countries.

Including in Brazil, where the e-Police Station was launched.

BRIEF

Wonder Women Tech (WWT) is a global ecosystem dedicated to creating initiatives that truly impact women’s experience in the tech and digital worlds.

That means an experience with diversity, inclusion and equality.

An experience without harassment, gender bias, or exclusion.

The challenge of this project was how to pull that off in the gaming world.

OBJECTIVE

The gaming community already knows about the problem.

There's no reason for yet another traditional awareness campaign.

The objective is clear: we needed a real solution to help women fight back against harassment.

MEDIA INSIDE

If the problem is inside games, then that’s where the solution has to be.

The e-Police Station is the first in-game police station where complaints become real-life police reports.

A mod that connects in-game police stations with real-life ones.

It allows gaming servers to activate a simple in-game interface.

In short, it’s a banner inside the game that changes the entire gaming experience for women.

Women are now able to file criminal complaints against their aggressors. All without leaving the game.

It’s as simple, practical and integrated as that.

Virtual harassment has always had real consequences for its victims.

Now, virtual harassment has real consequences for harassers, too.

An initiative with the essence of the NGO Wonder Women Tech ("Innovate. Empower. Ignite").

Which empowers women to fight against harassment.

After all, women's rights is not a game.

e-Police Station used a form of media that’s native to games in order to create a groundbreaking solution for the problem of harassment.

This isn’t an awareness campaign. It’s a tool for filing official complaints, inserted into the game itself.

e-Police Station is a mod that creates an interactive interface inside the game.

Players can activate it by opening up an ordinary banner.

But that banner mirrors a real-world police website, allowing women to file reports without leaving the game.

That’s right – it’s an in-game banner that changes whole gaming experience for women.

We rolled out the e-Police Station in GTA RP, the biggest online multiplayer game in Brazil, backed up with the voluntary live streams of dozens of female streamers.

The e-Police Station code was made open source so that all GTA RP servers could incorporate it. The tool is already being adapted for use in other games.

The e-Police Station is downloadable content that adds a new function in the game.

When added to gaming servers, the e-Police Station creates a direct connection between gamers and the real-world police.

An in-game banner that’s a game-changer for female players.

The mod was initially rolled out on a GTA RP server. It appears as an interactive tablet inside the game’s police station. Once you interact with it, you’re in contact with the real-world police.

The launch included a film, digital pieces, and live sessions by pro players and streamers, introducing their audiences to the tool.

The code was made open source, so multiple servers could use it.

The e-Police Station interface is being adapted to work in other games. It’s a simple process, since we already have the main mechanism up and running.

In other words, the project has no technical limitations to be scaled to countless games.

"A groundbreaking initiative to ensure justice" - IGN

Beyond the sheer numbers, the possibility of filing in-game police reports also means a behavioral sea change. Before, harassers could count on impunity. Now, they might suffer the consequences of their actions. That serves to inhibit aggression.

The e-Police Station also got great tangible results, including approximately 25MM in earned media and 357 real investigations against harassers (and counting).

Moreover, 18-plus servers have already implemented their own e-Police Station. Which means that more women will soon be able to file their own reports.

Another significant result has to do with mentions on social media and streaming platforms. We saw a massive discrepancy between male and female reactions to the project, with around 98% of positive mentions from women and 48% negative mentions from men.

Which only serves to show just how necessary the e-Police Station truly is.

/ Selected data:

• "77% of women gamers experience discrimination" Reach3 Insights.

• "28% of online multiplayer gamers who experienced in-game harassment avoided certain games" Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

• "22% stopped playing certain games altogether" ADL.

• "Less than 3% of users are responsible for 30% to 60% of the toxic content" ADL.

• "85% of players believe reporting systems are crucial for a positive gaming experience" Fair Play Alliance.

/ Data interpretation & insight:

There are men bent on curtailing women’s right to enjoy themselves.

And to do that, they use violence, harassment, and threats.

Those attacks have real-world consequences for their victims.

Such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

So if in-game harassment has real consequences for victims, it should have real consequences for harassers.

Anything less than that is impunity.

/ Real-life impact:

The e-Police Station ensures that harassers are punished in real life.