Sexual harassment

[Clover_Blake]

Luckily in my case, I play several female characters, some of them are even prone to show some skin, yet I've never been harassed. Or I don't think I have. This game has always felt quite safe for me.

[MoroMurasaki]

Valid points all across the bow so to speak....but this detracts from the heart of the issue.
You speak of Quality of Life features that honestly are needed.
But these features are for a broad-spectrum of reasons...not just Sexual Harassment.
SE could implement them all they way....still won't stop it.

It starts with people....those who give it..and those who...well are victimized by it. If the victims don't step up and bother to say anything. Nothing happens.
And likewise - false accusations ALSO hurt people. This is why I do not like this thread-naught..save but a few posts such as yours.
Easily caught up in a flame/drama/troll fest.

Again...I'd love those features to be implemented....but they are "in a different zip code" - that just happens to coincidentally help the problem..but it won't solve it. People always find a way....sad truth anymore.

I don't think the solutions suggested by Solarra are meant as a way to end all abuse and harassment, such a view would be incredibly shortsighted and childish.

We don't operate in a world of absolutes. As Sebazy said pages ago now people need to take up the responsibility of their own safety and protection. If this can happen easier in game (like with the tools suggested) it's one less avenue for such behavior to slip through. I think everyone would agree it's easier to make a new discord than a new character.

We are never going to completely halt abuse and harrassment. As a community we can't even honestly agree on proper definitions of those words. I still think giving the victims of real harrassment additional avenues to limit the access of their agressors to their life can only be a good thing, though.

Luckily in my case, I play several female characters, some of them are even prone to show some skin, yet I've never been harassed. Or I don't think I have. This game has always felt quite safe for me.

I learned in my last MMO that people tend to associate female characters "showing skin" with male players of said characters. I can honestly say I get more wink-wink-nudge-nudge-type comments from people while wearing my Ala Mhigan Gown than I ever do in a bikini, probably because when I wear a bikini people assume I'm a teenage boy.

[QT_Melon]

... When the 18 year old came forward about being harassed. She confessed that he yelled at her if she had any interaction with other male players. She then confided that he would threaten to kill himself if she left him and said he do so by killing himself by burning down and entire building. She was scared.


The FC leader then instructed the girl to do the right thing, by blocking him through all her outlets that she communicates with him. The FC leader would go with other members and discuss this matter to remove him from their guild. At least that was the start of things...sounds like good advice going on there, and people were taking the steps that many people in the thread advised.

The next day, everything changed. Apparently another female friend had come forward to convince the girl to unblock him. Another male member and friend of the guild didn't care. At this point the leader felt powerless to do anything and left the FC.

So... learning that, what exactly were people supposed to do? The 18 year old victim was groomed at that point, other members were grooming her so he could prey on her further. If your own comrades in the FC basically convince you that a guy who threatened suicide over you was in the right, and you were being "Dramatic" how exactly do you think they would convince themselves to call the police - or contact a GM (which a lot of people in this thread are stating). She did block him, then everyone else basically marked her as being the dramatic one and told her to UNBLOCK him.

People she trusted and looked up to convinced her to do otherwise.

What a mess :/

[sakkito]

On that note yes block and report doesn’t always work. Cutting these situations from the start usually works best though. Problem is that most of us wants to use mmo as a social platform as well to make friends (point of mmo) but other people use it to vent their um urges. What happened there (the article yada yada yada) was disgusting. People abusing power and guilt tripping others to satisfy normally unwelcome needs is just wrong. Besides religiously reporting and making things known there is really not much person can do though.