Sexual Assault in the Metaverse

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As we step into the immersive world of the metaverse, we're greeted with endless possibilities and experiences beyond our wildest imaginations. Climbing mountains, running with wolves, and wandering the streets of ancient Rome, virtual reality (VR) already offers us moments we couldn't otherwise imagine in such detail. But amidst the allure of these magical virtual realms lies a dark reality that we cannot afford to ignore: the dangers of sexual assault in digital spaces.

It might be easy to assume that experiences in VR are harmless fantasies, void of real-life consequences. After all, avatars interacting on a computer screen can appear cartoon-like, especially for those with little VR experience.

However, research suggests otherwise. First, when wearing haptic (tactile) technology, avatars' onscreen interactions translate into real body sensations for the viewer. When these interactions occur in VR, the experience becomes 3D. Further, studies have shown that the brain learns in VR, triggering similar emotional and physiological responses as real-world events. The impact of sexual assault is one example.

Gaming or socializing in VR may be so innovative as to disarm a potential victim. Thus, victims may struggle to recognize or respond to a virtual assault as it is occurring. Rather than immediately removing their VR glasses—a logical response to discomfort in the metaverse—I expect that victims will "freeze" in place or "try to get away" before they think to exit the virtual reality. As illogical as this may sound, VR experiences feel so real that a first defense isn't necessarily to remove VR glasses, as it can be easy to "forget" the experience isn't really happening.

My own experience playing the game Walk the Plank proved this point to me in a very personal way. This game is as it sounds. You are presented in VR with a wooden plank extending from the open doors of an elevator 40 stories over a New York City street. Your challenge is to walk across it.

When playing this game, I was literally struck speechless when a New York City street appeared "below" me. Yet, as much as I wanted to take my VR glasses off and return to real life, I couldn't actually use my arms to reach up and remove them.

Instead, I grabbed the game attendant in a bear hug and held on to her for dear life. It was as hilarious as it was frightening, but I remained frozen. Eventually, the attendant removed my VR glasses for me, and we all had a great laugh. But it is precisely this level of body panic that I can imagine people having when sexually assaulted in VR.

As nonsensical as it sounds, it's not as simple as reaching up and taking off your VR glasses. Logic may not prevail in emotionally destabilizing or upsetting situations. In such moments, VR has already become your reality. There is no escape.

An additional concerning aspect of sexual assault in the metaverse is that, unlike physical spaces where boundaries are more tangible, virtual environments may give perpetrators a false sense of anonymity and impunity. Hiding behind a computer screen may invite inappropriate and nonconsensual behavior that would make engaging in less confidential surroundings riskier. Just as bullying is exquisitely popular online, I'm concerned that, left unaddressed, sexual assault can similarly proliferate.

Further, while the metaverse is too new to provide statistics on assault, one may assume that all sexual assault victims will not be female. One recent study of the real world found that 71% of British men reported being sexually victimized by a woman at least once, with 57% experiencing it more than once and 45% experiencing it more than twice. These numbers underscore the likely problem of sexual assault across genders and contexts in real as well as virtual environments.

Finally, victims may already experience feelings of violation, helplessness, and trauma, mirroring the aftermath of real-world assaults. And again, as in the offline world, discrimination and victim-blaming will likely be prevalent in digital spaces, further wounding, silencing, and stigmatizing survivors. The emotional and psychological toll of an assault can linger long after VR goggles are removed.

In sum, to combat sexual assault in the metaverse, we must first acknowledge its existence, intensity, and potential impact. Our worlds are changing faster than at any moment in history. We are entering a new, amplified, surreal reality. Virtual as it may be, its impact will be felt in our still-very-earthly minds and bodies. The future of humanity depends on our willingness to acknowledge the astonishing realities of our unfolding new world.