Can "rape" occur in SL?

There was also Sociolotron that had Specific game mechanics built in to permit acts of rape (Among other crimes). the point is, this games mechanics not only allowed for it, but actively permitted it, And approved of it. Now where does that leave the player? Well, reading all the literature on the game before entering, one would learn that you are born there, Live, and can Die, either naturally, or violently. One is living in a dystopian society where rape, prostitutuion, Drug Dealing, theft, Murder for Hire, Extortion, and many other things are not only possible, but are actually the Point of the game. I think if one reads All of that, and still signs in, Only to find ones self in a rape situation (As victim) One has already been forwarned, and has Given approval to taking part in it. Force has STILL not been applied. the whole scenario has been agreed to at the Outset, and Role Play has commenced.

The scenario you described above seems to be taking advantage of Game mechanics and using them for Purposes Not intended either by the service provider, Or the Victim of the Misuse. That most certainly seems to Fit more closely the description of a rape, and obviously the service provider agrees that this constitutes a misuse of thier service as well. I have to ask, as you don't provide too many more details, CAN a Player log out spontaniously in that game? Or teleport from any location? You said that the Assaults can take place whether one is on Line or Not, Are the Avies Present In game at all times?
If the assault took place on an "Unoccupied" Avie What has really occurred there?

Now, In SL NONE of the above apply. What goes on in the game is decided by the players, and consented to by the Players. If scripter A generates a "Rape" machine, complete with animations and all, the user Still has to invite the Victim to participate. and if by some subterfuge the User entices the Victim unawares into accepting, the whole process can be halted immediately, and decisively By the victim. Then of course, there is the AR procedure immediately following that can (With enough reports) permanantly end the career of the Would-Be rapist.
In SL Each player has such complete autonomy of person that Rape simply is not Possible. The freedoms that exist in SL also act as protections, no one has been able to generate a rape machine that acts like a Gun, triggered by the user, Effects inescapable by the target. The only thing we are left with is two consenting persons acting out a mutually agreeable fantasy.
Someone brought out the emotional effect it might have on a third party. Valid concern to a point, but the observer, being aware that no one in SL can be forced to do anything against thier will Has to accept what they see, though it has, in thier opinion, questionable trappings, it is still fully consentual. My only concern here really would be people acting out such things in areas Not appropriate to the activity (Dytopian Sim, or privacy of thier own environments Out of public view) Like faking the rape in a Public Park. People mention the Goreans, and thier connection to Forced sexual activities. To date i have not seen any goreans doing such things Outside thier own environments. If they have, i feel it's been in poor taste, and questionable judgement. If those activities are witnessed inside a Gorean environment, all i can say is, That is what is to be expected in that environment. If you don't like Football, you tend not to go to a Stadium. it's a consentual activity taking place in it's own environment. If you don't want to see it, there is no need for you to Go to that environment.

Angel.

thing is in a video game you can't be raped in the strict sense of the term, there is always the option to log off, or to shut down your computer and come back later. Which isn't really an option in RL.

Go watch one of these rape fantasy's in progress sometime and afterwards tell me that the victims reactions were that of a person really being raped. I think you would find that if the victim did react so, most of the "rapists" would probably lose interest pretty quickly.

Got a friend, a REAL rape victim, who has serious issues getting into real or SL sexual situations. Something like the poseball ruse would really screw her up. Is she just being overly sensitive? Who knows. Does she need further therapy to deal with this element of her past to make her fully functional again? Sure seems so. But the fact is, some people WILL have issues with this. To make a blanket suggestion that all former rape victims are now well adjusted, and totally accepting of what they have been through, and now have no problems with little things like a poseball sex ambush, is irresponsible. You may have gotten over your rape and life is just peachy for you, for others its an ongoing ordeal. Why is this? Ask a psychologist, Im not qualified to explain the nuances of post-traumatic stress disorders. But I know firsthand that they exist. As for the nazi and concentration camp analogy, what have you been smokin'? Its not even close on any level.

there is all sort of peoples that survived similar and much worse trauma in the world. Should we care in an imaginary world? i don't know.

I'm jumping in here having read the beginning and the latest posts. Mebbe someone's already made this point.

The actual emphasis in the blog is the 'depiction' of things such as rape. This suggests to me as being seen by others rather than the role players themselves. As in other instances, people have pointed out that providing this is done in suitably tagged areas with appropriate warnings of adult behaviour there is not a problem.

The problem lies with the fact that someone sensitive and abhorrent to the situation can stumble upon it in harmlessly looking around.

Actions of consenting adults in Mature sims, tagged Adult, hidden from view I don't believe is a problem.

Rape itself is not possible in SL .... but a disturbing depiction of it is.

A good question for a new poll.
Me, of course we should care. It's an essential part of being human. If I didn't care, why should I even login?

My point is, some people who've lived through such things in RL would be hurt by an unwarrented sexual encounter in this imaginary world. No they wouldnt have to stick around and sit through the entire ordeal replayed in simville, but just being ambushed for those few brief seconds could drag some nasty memories out of their head. So should we care for these unfortunates who have survived such nasties and dont want to relive the experience, yes we should. Now does this mean that consenting adults shouldnt be allowed to roleplay the rape scenerio for their own twisted kinks? Thats up to the individuals involved, and should be strictly consensual. I dont believe in regulating ones fantasies. The question was ' Can rape occur in SL'. If the definition of rape is unwanted sex tossed at you, the guy with the sneaky mislabled poseball can indeed do that to you. Even if just for the amount of time it takes for you to hit the TP button. For your average SL citizen, this is just another form of griefing or maybe just a rude joke, but for a few damaged folk out there, this can indeed do harm.

Thankyou Winter for some clarification .. and reminding me what the OP really asks!
Yes ... how fast is trauma?

Hear hear! I was almost raped in the past and reading your post made me feel good, Winter. I know I can easily tp out a situation like that, yet the feeling I'd get would be nervewrecking. Ty for your post!

Mandy C

Here's a scenario that might be on target.

I am a newer Avatar and though I was apart of second life a while ago this is so different from that time there's so many scripts and such.

I was at the Newbie Island were tons of people congregate and we learn the rops together. I was standing having a chat with a few people when out of no where this jerk grabbed my avatar and began dry-humping it. I was completely shocked and I didn't know how to stop him and quite frankly It took me a few to get to my X out because he wasn't stoping for anything.

I exited Second Life but was afraid to re-enter for a while because I didn't know where the person came from and was worried he was still there.

I know no one can remove anything from the body of my avatar without consent and I also know that I can X out of any scenario that may arrise but newbies certenly can be assaulted even as I type I still can't figure out how to stop someone from doing that again.

just an FYI

Sorry, I really worry about this. Tell me where I should keep away from. and which options should I to turn it off before login system.

I wear shields when I visit places I've never been to, mainly to stop griefers but it works in this situation as well. There are a lot of shields available, maybe you should look into that. I'd be more then glad to help you. IM me in-world if you want me to.

Mandy C

I had that happen as a newbie, though I had got further than help island and it was on my first rental land. I am glad the experience didn't put you off discovering SL, there are idiots out there and newbies are their best targets as they don't know how to deal with it. With sex being such a big part of SL, it does give some people the idea that anything goes, including 'rape'. Thankfully it's only a small percentage.

I try to see people as people and accept them as they are and I also think that equating pixel SL "rape" with the RL thing is doing a terrible diservice to RL rape victims.

I should like to know why Gianna acts out rape fantasies in SL - without wanting to pry too much into an individual, private fantasy ( we are all entitles to our own ) - I would find it interesting if someone could explain their motivation behind this. Why would someone want to depict an act of rape? Why does her customer want to depict an act of killing a woman? Just a question...

We've all had tragedies in our lives and no one else can tell us how we should deal with them. You've made a poignant statement here. I would treat these things as rude annoyances for sure, but for others this might hit too close to home. While we can't protect everyne's psyche and maintain a world with the freedoms we all want, we can do things to limit the possibilty of undue stress, by dealing swiftly with those who use trickery to cause this, and by ensuring these types of roleplay are limited to designated areas, and taking action against those who do not comply.

You know Id be all for punishing people who use scripted objects that allow for non consensual sexual animations - such as the rape hugger described.

While letting those playing out Rape fantasies to exist.

The difference the first being non consensual and can happen anywhere - Even though the victim can easily get away.

The Second is just a role play of pixel/cyber sex and the "victim" was into it.

The decieving rape animation is is assault in some form - whether or not people agree its rape, its definitely a rape themed manipulation.

Anyone with common sense would answer no. If they answer yes they are on crack or something. Especially even comparing it to the real thing. Calling it rape in SL is an insult to the people that have had it happen to them in real life.

The problem with the depiction of rape is that, were it pervasive and widespread throughout Second Life, it would make Second Life a very hostile place for women in particular. Though rape is not exclusively a problem with male perpetrators and female victims, it disproporionately involves male perpetrators and female victims. Rape as an individual crime is just as abherrent, regardless of the sex of the perpetrator or the victim. As an overall social phenomenon, rape is largely a reflection of a society in which many men feel a sexual entitlement to women's bodies. Many women, whether part of the 1 in 6 who have been raped or sexually assaulted in their lives, live with fear of rape almost daily in many common circumstances. But back to the issue of the depiction of rape: Though 90% of actual rape victims may be female, media depiction of male rape of women seems to leave that 90% number in the dust; depiction of rape as entertainment is almost exclusively male perpetrator and female victim.

So when it comes to deciding whether depiction of rape would be regulated on Second Life, it would seem that part of the answer would depend upon whether Second Life would be open and friendly to women in general, or whether it is a place to remind them of that real-life fear of rape all the time?

It doesn't bother me that some individuals want to play out their rape fantasies. Generally, whatever anyone does with mutual consent with everyone involved doesn't bother me. Some people can simultaneously have fear of real life rape but have rape fantasies they want to explore. That's fine. But I wouldn't want to participate in a community where rape were considered part of the community fabric. Play out the fantasies in private, but don't expose them to me. If I want to participate, I'll call you, you don't need to call me.

It doesn't really matter that a depiction of a rape may not fit the legal definition of a rape. I don't think it's necessary to consider whether subjection to physical rape is more or less traumatic than someone pretending, without my consent, to rape me. I don't like any of it.

So based on the opinion of the people who think rape RP should be allowed (which I am one) let me put this question out there...

Should it be okay to have gay bashing RP? Chase a fruity-looking guy down an alley and knock him around?

That would be against the Intollerance clause.

In addtion it wouldnt be a gay person who enjoys being virtually beaten.

But would he be RolePlaying a gay person, so therefore protected. *Yikes*

In RL, Law change since mid-80, that even a married couple, a husband can be charged rape against his wife. But that does really help to much in real world. I would like to join any discussion of this in SL as well.

As to gay, I have no idea. We must read the wording of legislation whether penetration, indecent assault would apply to same sex.

But anyway, consent between 2 (or more than 2) is premise, except some minor under law protection.

I am not sure whether virtual child here should also under protection, since this might unconstitutional against first amendment.

Milissa

I think SqueezeOne has a dead on point, actually. There are many abhorrent activities/mindsets out there. We all agree that child molestation is completely off the map. Gay-bashing would be in violation of the intolerance clause. So, why not depictions of rape? Particularly when it can be initiated with a falsely labled hug animation? Yes, the victim can tp/logoff, but we can say that with regard to the gay-bashing too.

For that matter, what about depictions of murder? I will be honest and say I would far, far rather be "shot" at in SL than sexually harassed--but at the same time, gunning someone down in cold blood is a Very Bad Thing, last I checked.

Once again, the question is, where do we draw the line? Like many have said before on this and similar threads, the criteria should be consensus, not our personal objections to specific activities. The public/not-public issue is also one of consensus--if I have no warning that I might see graphic depictions of Bad Things (tm) in an area, I am in essence a non-consensual participant. Warn me, and if I go there and am bothered by it, it is solely my problem.

What if the victim isn't actually gay but is RPing it? You don't actually think all women in SL are really women do you??

I'm just putting this out there because I'm interested to see if people think there's a difference.