From Virtual Rape to Meta-rape: Sexual Violence, Criminal Law and the Metaverse.
As the metaverse blurs the lines between physical and virtual realms, enhanced by haptic devices providing sensory feedback, it is poised to become integral to daily life. However, this new digital frontier is also a site for sexual violence. Women users increasingly report non-consensual touching,...
| Publicado en: | Oxford Journal of Legal Studies Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 554 - 583 |
|---|---|
| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
| Publicado: |
Oxford University Press / USA
Autumn2025
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=187976760&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 187976760 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 01436503 BJ4 jtl: Oxford Journal of Legal Studies issn: 01436503 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Autumn2025 vid: 45 iid: 3 pid: 622 pub: Oxford University Press / USA artinfo: ui: 187976760 10.1093/ojls/gqaf009 ppf: 554 ppct: 29 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 813KB tig: atl: From Virtual Rape to Meta-rape: Sexual Violence, Criminal Law and the Metaverse. aug: au: McGlynn, Clare Rigotti, Carlotta su: Sexual assault Sex crimes Gender-based violence Shared virtual environments Haptic devices sug: subj: Sexual assault Sex crimes Gender-based violence Shared virtual environments Haptic devices keyword: extended reality image-based sexual abuse metaverse technology-facilitated gender-based violence virtual rape virtual reality ab: As the metaverse blurs the lines between physical and virtual realms, enhanced by haptic devices providing sensory feedback, it is poised to become integral to daily life. However, this new digital frontier is also a site for sexual violence. Women users increasingly report non-consensual touching, image-based sexual abuses and novel forms of gendered harm, often trivialised and inadequately addressed by current laws. Accordingly, this article proposes the new concept and terminology of 'meta-rape' to better capture the intense and embodied nature of these forms of sexual violence. We also provide a new categorisation of experiences of sexual harassment and abuse in the metaverse, together with a comprehensive analysis of the role and application of criminal law in tackling meta-rape. We suggest, contrary to conventional approaches, that current criminal laws could apply to some forms of meta-rape. We also propose strengthening and future-proofing criminal law, with laws proscribing intimate intrusions. By reframing our understanding of meta-rape, we aim to address the prevalence and impact of these gendered and sexualised harms, providing robust avenues for victim redress and promoting safety and autonomy in emerging virtual spaces. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: © 2019 Oxford University Press. item: Oxford Journal of Legal Studies holder: Oxford University Press / USA dt: @attributes: year: 2025 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|