Date: November 17, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 2:15 pm EST / 8:00 am – 11:15 am PST
Format:   Live interactive training offered via Zoom

Presented by: Tracy Alvord, MS, LPC (See Bio), Elizabeth Bigham (See Bio), Michael “Christian” Alvord (See Bio), and Markus Wiegel, PhD (See Bio)

You must attend the entire live training and complete an evaluation to be eligible for CE credits. If you seek only psychology credits, the evaluation is optional, and you can remain anonymous.

Online Training Description:

Gaming environments are shared spaces that span age groups. As of 2025, there were approximately 3.32 billion gamers worldwide. In the United States, nearly one-quarter of gamers are minors, and the average gamer is 36 years old. Modern video games are not only a form of entertainment but also a primary means of social interaction through in-game chat, streaming platforms, and gaming-focused social media. Although these environments can foster connection and community, they also present unique risks, including opportunities for sexual harassment, exploitation, and the grooming of minors.

Gaming platforms and affiliated online spaces (for example, Discord, Twitch, and TeamSpeak) facilitate interactions that can be difficult to monitor using traditional supervision methods. In addition, some games contain highly explicit sexual content, including depictions of sexual violence. Such content may present particular risks for individuals under supervision who are prohibited from accessing sexually explicit material but may attempt to circumvent restrictions through gaming environments.

Dr. Tracy Alvord and her colleagues, Elizabeth Bigham, Michael “Christian” Alvord, and Markus Wiegel, developed this training to examine the risks associated with, and responses to, online gaming in the context of sexual harm. Presenters review current research on sexual offending in gaming-related environments, including grooming techniques, platform affordances, and patterns of exploitation. They also discuss law-enforcement strategies for identifying and investigating sexual exploitation in gaming-related environments, including ways to recognize individuals who target minors (often referred to as “bad players”) in these spaces.

The training addresses clinical implications, including assessment considerations, treatment targets, and interventions for individuals who have committed sexual offenses and engage in gaming. Emphasis is placed on collaboration between treatment providers and community supervision officers to support effective risk management. Demonstrations of gaming platforms, sexually explicit video game—including anime- and hentai-related genres—and related social media environments are incorporated to strengthen participants’ understanding of these contexts.

This session equips clinicians, researchers, and supervision professionals with a more comprehensive understanding of gaming environments as both a potential risk factor and a treatment-relevant domain in the prevention of sexual harm.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

1) Describe unique aspects of video games and gaming/streaming communities that may increase the risk of sexual offending
2) Explain how grooming through video games and gaming-focused social media platforms is similar to, and differs from, general online grooming techniques
3) Identify how online sexual exploitation of children is detected on social media platforms (e.g., Discord) and describe investigative methods used to identify individuals who use gaming and social media environments to exploit vulnerable populations

Interactive Follow-Up Meeting

Attendees are invited to join an open discussion 15 minutes following the end of the training, where you can engage with fellow attendees by turning on your camera and microphone. This is an opportunity to share your experiences and contribute to a meaningful exchange of ideas. Time will be allocated to address questions or insights from the training. Please note that attendance is optional and will not affect your eligibility for a training certificate.

We can refund your training fee up to 24 hours prior to the start of the training.

To view all training details and review our list of frequently asked questions, please click here to visit the promotional page.