Design Features of Immersive Social Virtual Reality (ISVR) Platforms to For Violence Prevention: Systematic Review Findings

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis:

Immersive social virtual reality (ISVR) refers to 3D virtual spaces where users can interact with one another through head-mounted displays. ISVR platforms, such as Meta, VRChat, RecRoom, and AltSpaceVR, are becoming increasingly popular for online gaming and socializing. Through them, users can immerse themselves in activities such as gaming, socializing, or viewing sports games and concerts using a customizable, full-body avatar. The immersive, first-person nature of these avatars and the live interactivity between them allows for the possibility of avatar-to-avatar virtual acts of violence, like bullying and harassment. It is unknown if the design features of ISVR spaces (e.g., visual appearance, blocking and reporting mechanisms) affect the likelihood of users engaging in or experiencing such behaviors. This systematic literature review examines the role of ISVR design features in virtual violence experiences among users, and is part of a larger review that examines the association between ISVR with online and offline violence.

Methods:

We reviewed research literature and brief reports published between 2007-2022 which met the following inclusion criteria: United States-based; English language; focus on ISVR and any report of violence, especially harassment or bullying. Searches were conducted on several online databases (e.g., PubMed, Medline, APA PsychInfo, Scopus, Nexis-Lexis). “Virtual Reality” was the primary search term, and “violence,” “harassment,” “bullying,” or “victimization” were secondary search terms.

Results:

Of the 299 articles identified 15 studies were retained that fit the inclusion criteria. Of those, over half involved qualitative interviews or surveys of ISVR users, while the remainder were literature reviews or academic commentary. Four themes emerged regarding ISVR design features that affect virtual violence experiences, including: 1) design features of the virtual environment, such as the presence of activities and objects to give users a shared activity, or the environment having a “theme” that evokes violence-related behaviors (e.g., a locker room evoking “locker room talk”); 2) blocking or reporting mechanisms being inefficient or slow to use, and punishments being either too broadly or narrowly applied to be effective in reducing problematic behavior; 3) social norms set by early users that influence behavior by later users; and 4) identifying features, such as sound of voice and avatar appearance, leading to greater violence directed toward women, children, and racial/ethnic, sexual and gender minorities.

Conclusions:

ISVR features of the visual and social environments, as well as blocking and reporting mechanisms, can influence virtual violent behavior. Potential strategies to improve these features for violence prevention are proposed and discussed.

Implications for research and/or practice:

ISVR use is expected to increase as the technology becomes affordable and widely available. Findings from this systematic review can be used to inform design decisions for new and existing ISVR platforms to prevent virtual violence experiences, like harassment and bullying. The findings of this review can also inform future research on understanding how to foster safe and supportive behaviors while interacting with others online.