Abstract
Male-perpetuated violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a global phenomenon, and there is urgent need to mobilize more men and boys to prevent violence and advance gender equality, including approaches that concretely and positively change behavior. This rapid evidence review examined gamification as a promising approach for engaging and mobilizing men and boys in violence prevention, gender equality, and social justice movements. A systematic search strategy of academic and gray literature was performed using a combination of relevant keywords. After search and screen, 15 gamification interventions matched the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Results indicate that gamification is promising for creating fun and engaging learning environments, cultivating empathy, and building positive social connection between peers. All interventions reviewed indicate positive outcomes such as increased knowledge, changes in attitudes, and/or behavior change in men and boys. However, while interventions included at least 30% male participants per our inclusion criteria, none of them specifically used gamification to engage men and boys, and efforts to address violence prevention, gender equality, diversity, and inclusion were poorly integrated. There is a need to bridge these interconnected fields and social movements. Gamification is an underutilized and novel approach for engaging men and boys for violence prevention and gender equality. This review provides a much-needed examination of how and why gamification could advance efforts to engage and mobilize more men and boys for violence prevention and gender equality as well as outlines priorities for future use of gamification in work with men and boys.