If your child is a gamer, then they have likely experienced griefing in gaming. They may have even told you about it, and while you knew that it didn’t sound nice, you weren’t exactly sure what to call it.
What is griefing in gaming?
Griefing is another toxic behavior that many gamers use when playing. A griefer, or griefing is when a bad faith player deliberately harasses or tries to irritate other players within a game. They push aside winning and this becomes their main goal. This typically takes place in a multiplayer games and uses aspects of the game in ways that are not intended. These players also derive pleasure from taking advantage of other players. These players are referred to as griefers.
Why players use griefing?
There are many reasons that players get involved with griefing. Some are interested in advancement while others are more interested in the mechanics. They have an interest in analyzing the rules and systems in order to enhance their character performance. It is also said that some players use griefing as a form of escapism. They are looking to avoid their real-life problems and therefor participate in griefing other players in games.
How griefing affects other players
Griefing is a form of bullying and can have the same affect on children who are bullied in the playground or in school.
Recommendations for parents
Griefing is hard to prevent. With that said, there are ways for players to make it difficult for others to grief them.
- In a game like Minecraft, build away from main roads, highways or high traffic ares,
- Build you bases out of blast-resistant, nonflammable materials to make your base tougher and harder to grief.
- Remain hidden whenever you can – underground bases arew a good idea.
- When playing on a server, protect the server with appropriate anti-griefing plugins.
- Do not let admins abuse their power
- Be careful where you or the admin of the server advertisies the server.
- Learn about griefing. The more you know, the better you will be able to protect yourself.
- Only play with people that you trust.