Even In A Virtual World, The Harsh Reality Of Sexual Harassment Persists
Writer Jordan Belamire describes how she was "groped" and "chased," while playing the medieval archery game, by a user called BigBro442.
Prior to reading Belamire's story, Schenker and his fellow developers did initially have a "personal bubble," setting, a feature that aims to reduce minor annoyances from other players.
So for more egregious instances like Belamire's experience, that personal bubble has now intensified, Schenker says.
"Now ... if you have the setting on, someone who, kind of, walks into your personal space, simply fades out of existence," Schenker says.
To help combat the Internet trolls, as Jesse Fox calls them, Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., has campaigned for more effective tactics for dealing with online harassment. Furthermore, organizations such as Crash Override Networkassist with the creation of safe spaces for those who feel they've been attacked online.
At 31 percent, women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population than the 17 percent that concerns men age 18 or younger, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
"I really appreciate what QuiVr has done," Fox says. "It's empowering users to decide when they're uncomfortable. That being said, trolls are trolls. And that's a little hard to deal with."
See the full story here: http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/10/30/499243803/even-in-a-virtual-world-the-harsh-reality-of-sexual-harassment-persists