It’s NOT “Only a Game”! Strategies Against Sexual Harassment in Immersive VR Environments

Sexual harassment and cyber grooming have been happening in all digital media since their beginning. Recently, more users are experiencing 3D worlds in Virtual reality (VR), and immersive multiplayer environments allow talking and interacting with other users’ avatars or even “touching” each other’s virtual body. This can lead to sexual harassment situations. Especially female and queer VR users are frequently “contacted” in inappropriate ways. Since the identity of a user is often not revealed, the barriers for offence up to virtual rapes are relatively low. There is no clear jurisdiction against the offenders if no physical contact has been made, but the victims can severely suffer from this experience. This research describes different forms of virtual abuses and discusses what counter measures software companies have already taken and whether these are effective. It then discusses the necessity of digital house rules and different technical measures against offenders.