Harassment in social virtual reality: frequency, harmfulness, and governance responses

Abstract Harassment in social Virtual Reality (VR) poses distinctive risks as embodied and immersive interactions heighten the impact of harmful encounters. We surveyed 215 adult Social VR users on the frequency, perceived harmfulness, and preferred governance responses to verbal, physical, and environmental harassment. Verbal harassment was most frequent and broadly harmful. Physical harassment, though less frequent, elicited the strongest polarization: more users than in other categories rated it either not harmful at all or extremely harmful, highlighting how embodiment magnifies divergent interpretations of harassment. Gender differences emerged not in frequency but in perceived harm and governance preferences, with women consistently rating harassment as more harmful and strongly endorsing all responses. Across responses, bans were most supported, yet participants also expressed strong support for legal action. These results challenge prior online harassment research on both frequency and governance preferences, highlighting how embodiment and identity masking reshape risks and responses in social VR.