Ygam launches new Gaming & Esports Programme

Ygam has unveiled a new addition to its portfolio of award-winning harm prevention programmes, with a specific focus on safeguarding young gamers.

The Gaming & Esports Programme is a pioneering initiative designed to educate and support young gamers, their parents and carers, as well as professionals working in the gaming and esports sectors – helping to create a safer, more supportive experience for young people.

The global esports market has seen dramatic growth over the past 5 years and is expected to be worth $10.91 billion by 2032. With over 80% of 16–24-year-olds playing video games in 2024 and 83% of those young people playing online, Ygam’s new programme will actively address the growing need for more effective education on digital safeguarding.

The programme covers topics like microtransactions and virtual currencies, the role of advertising and evolving gaming mechanics, impact of gaming on mental health, motivations and benefits of pursuing a career in esports, inclusivity within gaming and how to encourage safer virtual spaces.

In February, a successful pilot was delivered to young people from the Sheffield United Community Foundation and esports students from Sheffield Hallam University. Hosted by the National Video Game Museum, the pilot was well received by both staff and young people, providing strong insight into the value of the programme.

Sacha Kent, Programme Lead for Gaming & Esports, said: “It’s vital we recognise the central role gaming plays in the digital lives that children lead today. This new programme marks an important step in helping young people enjoy gaming safely, with the knowledge and tools to better understand potential risks and harms. Through our work with parents, young people, and professionals across sectors, we know there is a real demand for this kind of education. We’re incredibly proud and excited to begin delivering it to communities across the country.”

Charlotte Nichols MP, Chair of the APPG Video Gaming and Esports, said: “Video games are an enormous part of huge numbers of children and young people’s everyday lives. They offer so much in entertainment, socialisation and education but there are of course dangers in the online world. Ygam do so much good work in this field to raise challenging issues and work to address them to make gaming a safer place, and I am glad to work with them to do this.”

Lia Thompson, President of the Gaming & Esports Society at Sheffield Hallam University and attendee of the pilot session, said: “I think the new Ygam programme is really important – the Gaming and Esports industry is going in the right direction with the increasing ability to report inappropriate behaviour, but safeguarding needs to start before that. There needs to be more awareness of the behaviour that is actively happening, so that it stops being normalised. If we can get young people to think about this early on, we can stop it from happening in the first place, and Ygam’s new programme really helps to achieve this.

“As a woman in gaming, you see these behaviours normalised from a young age, so you begin to think that’s how you should act to be accepted by the community. This is not the true version of yourself, and toxic behaviour online should not be enabled like this. Ygam’s training is bringing attention to the impact of these behaviours, changing mindsets and helping others feel more comfortable calling it out to make their communities and peers safer.”

Ygam has already delivered the programme to nearly 100 adults and young people, through two open sessions and to the Newcastle United Foundation.

The Gaming & Esports team will be continuing to deliver a full programme of open sessions throughout April and May.