When it pertains to strictly interactions in an MMO environment, it is sound advice to protect yourself, and if harassment does happen, blocking, reporting, and moving on can be sound advice. I don't think anyone is knocking that. The issue at the core of this thread, though, is that this has gone beyond the game. I don't think it's fair for some of these folks to be judged when their decisions occurred during emotionally vulnerable periods in their lives. People tend to act irrationally or outside of their norms. It's part of the reason why abuse is still very prevalent today. Not all victims have the wherewithal to be able to say no. Not all of them know how to say no. It's more than just a two letter word.

That's not to say that the victims are free from any faults, but some people aren't equipped to respond to certain situations in the way some of you might. If we all took a trip to a combat zone and we suddenly came under attack, can you say for certain that you'd be able to keep a leveled head? Be able to return fire and call in the direction of gunfire? Not everyone can to certain things in the same way.

And on that note, whomever said that online abuse is not that serious, there is something morally wrong with that statement. It's not the serious? A friend of mine committed suicide not too long ago because of cyber bullying (yes, this is online abuse too). But it's not that serious? Perhaps not to you, but don't say it's not that serious when have been national awareness movements about this.