As the popularity of virtual reality (VR) headsets grows among adults and children, a new security threat emerges – grooming in virtual reality. VR devices provide access to computer-generated three-dimensional worlds and games with various environments and interactions, often referred to as the “metaverse”. Despite the manufacturer-set minimum age limit for using VR headsets (usually 10-13 years old), many younger children, even preschoolers, are increasingly immersing themselves in this immersive environment.
Benefits and Risks of Virtual Reality for Children
Virtual reality opens up new opportunities for children to play and develop. By immersing themselves in digital worlds, they can take on the roles of different characters (avatars) and engage in exciting adventures. Due to the richness of stimuli, VR creates an illusion of real presence in the virtual space, which can be a beneficial and engaging experience if children interact with other players in a safe environment.
However, there are also potential risks. For children, especially younger ones, it is difficult to distinguish virtual reality from the real world. When they identify themselves with their avatars, the boundary between them and the VR device blurs. Because of the immersive nature of virtual reality, negative events occurring in the game can create traumatic memories as if they had happened in real life.
Grooming and Cybersexual Violence Threat
Studies show that online offenders use various grooming strategies to manipulate children and engage them in sexual interactions. They may pretend to be peers or friends, developing trusting relationships with the child before escalating to sexual advances.
It is not surprising that in recent years there has been an increase in cases of “child sexual communication”. According to the UK police, such crimes increased by 84% from 2017 to 2022. Some reports in Europe indicate that up to 25% of children reported engaging in sexual interactions with adults online.
The metaverse creates new opportunities for offenders, allowing them to anonymously enter virtual worlds popular among children. Through VR devices, perpetrators can virtually enter a child’s room and engage in sexual activities, which will be perceived by the child as real.
Recommendations for Parents
Faced with this growing threat, parents need to take steps to protect their children. First and foremost, it is important to recognize signs of grooming, such as isolating the child, attempts to build their trust, and requests to keep relationships secret.
However, since virtual reality is a relatively new technology, many parents are not familiar with it and do not understand what their children are dealing with in these immersive environments. To help parents better understand their children’s experiences, it is recommended that they familiarize themselves with VR technologies and the metaverse.
By trying out virtual reality headsets and immersing themselves in these digital worlds, parents can better understand what interests their children and with whom they may interact. This will enable them to make informed decisions and implement individual protective measures, such as checking parental controls and security features on each platform, as well as actively investigating what their children are playing and with whom they are interacting.
Esports and Betting as New Challenges
In parallel with the development of virtual reality and its integration into children’s lives, the popularity of esports is also growing. For many gamers, computer games have become not just entertainment, but a real profession and a way to earn large sums of money. Popular esports disciplines such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, League of Legends, and others attract millions of viewers and have impressive prize pools.
For example, at the main Dota 2 tournament of the year – The International – the prize pool in 2022 exceeded $18 million. Esports athletes train for many hours a day, honing strategies and skills to become the best in their discipline. This opens up opportunities not only for a professional gaming career but also for making money through betting on esports competitions.
Bookmakers, such as about Melbet, offer bets on esports tournaments, and broadcasts of major competitions attract a multimillion audience worldwide. However, as with virtual reality, parents need to carefully monitor what their children are interested in in the digital space to protect them from potential threats.
Conclusion
Virtual reality offers exciting new opportunities for children to immerse themselves in digital worlds and develop their skills through play. However, this same technology also creates new risks associated with cyber grooming and sexual violence in the virtual environment. Offenders may use anonymity and the accessibility of the metaverse to contact children and commit unlawful actions.
To safeguard their child, parents should educate themselves about new technologies to understand what they are dealing with. This will enable them to make informed decisions and implement individual protective measures.
