Helen Race
Survivors' Network
Helen has been working within Sexual and Domestic violence services for nearly 20 years now – in a variety of frontline, therapeutic, training and managerial roles.
She holds a degree in Psychology and is a qualified therapist; bringing her experience of client work, along with an intersectional eye and trauma-informed principles, to training delivery and partnership working. She is excited to be in a position where she can use training and education as a means to create changes in culture and improve responses to harmful sexual behaviours – with individuals, organisations and wider society.
Helen Race is speaking at the following session/s
Sexism, Sexual Safety and Allyship in Gaming
The games industry thrives on creativity, collaboration, and community—but is not immune to the wider societal problem of sexual harassment and sexist behaviours. We appreciate this may feel like a challenging topic, but we are very used to having these discussions, and making them sensitive and engaging.
Sexism, Sexual Safety and Allyship in Gaming sets the scene by grounding these issues in a broader cultural and legal context, including an overview of the UK’s Worker Protection Act.
We’ll explore why sexual harassment is not just a legal risk, but a serious barrier to wellbeing, retention, and innovation; considering this issue in the context of gaming.
The session will consider challenges that are particularly acute in the gaming industry: power imbalances, freelancer and contractor vulnerability, social events blurring professional boundaries, online spaces, and long-standing cultural norms that can normalise “banter,” exclusion, or silence.
We’ll examine common behaviours to watch out for and discuss their real impacts, especially for women, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalised groups.
Crucially, this talk is not just about identifying problems, it’s about action. Attendees will learn practical, accessible ways to be a good ally and active bystander, regardless of role or seniority. This includes how to safely intervene, support colleagues, challenge harmful behaviour, and help create environments where people feel able to speak up, so everyone can do their best work and feel they belong in gaming.
Session Takeaway
- Identification of potentially unharmful behaviours.
- Becoming confident for bystander intervention.
- Supporting affected parties.
Session speakers
