Virtual Rape? I think not.

Dibbell might suggest that virtual rape approximates actual physical rape, however there seems to be something slightly off with her line of reasoning. I don’t necessarily see rape as an act that can occur without a physical action. I understand Dibbell’s argument that the psychological affects of “virtual” rape are debilitating and disturbing, but the realization that this occurs in a FANTASY environment looms too great in my mind. Perhaps we have an altered perception of reality in the virtual environment that requires the implementation of some rules to maintain a sense of propriety and order, yet it is the fantastic elements of the virtual world that draw so many in. I don’t think it is possible to create an environment that does not exist within the parameters of human physical interactions and then apply the rules and social stigmas that govern our actual lives. Unless an environment like lambdaMOO is created with the intention to provide an accurate representation of human life, it is unfair and unreal to expect the players to act as if they are in the world at large.