Practising Safe Sex(t): Developing a Serious Game to Tackle Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence

Abstract: Modern society relies on the Internet for socialisation, entertainment, and business, whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the digitalisation of many services. Heightened incidences of cybercrime have accompanied increased Internet usage, including acts of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV). Measures to prevent further TFSV victims are limited, and growing pressures on law enforcement mean few support resources are available. This paper presents an innovative game-based mitigation for TFSV education. We developed a serious game in the form of an online visual novel, with each chapter revolving around an aspect of TFSV. Pre and post-game surveys were conducted with 45 participants to explore their experience with the game and understanding of TFSV. The findings highlight that games-based interventions have the potential to act as an effective tool against TFSV. The broader implications of the work focus on suggestions for law enforcement and the role of games-based mitigations to reduce victimisation.

Keywords: Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence, Cybercrime, Visual Novel, Serious Games, Human-Centred Security

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004777

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