Urgent action needed to protect children in the metaverse

New study co-led by MDX calls for online safety in primary schools to educate children about the potential dangers in the virtual worlds

A new research study from Middlesex University and the University of East London reveals that many children are facing serious risks in the metaverse, including harassment, exposure to inappropriate content, and psychological harm. The study, announced by LBC radio as part of their Online Safety Day, calls for better measures to safeguard children in these immersive digital environments, including online safety lessons in primary schools.

Parmilla Minhas, who runs a HR consultancy firm in Hertfordshire, has three children aged nine, ten and twelve, said: "In primary schools, they should absolutely have online safety lessons about the metaverse and social media, and these shouldn’t be sugar-coated but really tell children about the harsh realities and the potential dangers. What concerns me about the metaverse is that you can be whoever you want to be in this virtual world, and that worries me because while you can be genuine, somebody else could pretend to be a 12-year-old. It could be a 12-year-old on the other side and completely innocent, but equally they could be some older adult in a basement. You just don’t know."

“We must work together to protect children in these new digital spaces and ensure the metaverse is a safe environment for our children. Children are being exposed to online harms and dangers at a very young age and online safety lessons could teach them safe behaviours and warning signs before they start to become active in the metaverse.” 

Professor Elena Martellozzo, Middlesex University, co-lead of the research.

Professor Julia Davidson, OBE, University of East London and co-lead of the study, said: "The metaverse is not just a playground; it presents unique and serious challenges for child safety. Our findings highlight a critical need for updated policies, better digital education, and stronger safety measure."

The Virtual Reality Risks Against Children (VIRRAC) 2 Report, was conducted by researchers from the Institute for Connected Communities at the University of East London and the Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS) at Middlesex University.

Key Findings: What are the risks?

• High exposure to online harms. Children often face pressure to engage in unsafe behaviours and are frequently exposed to inappropriate content, and there is a need for more guidance, increased awareness, adequate support, and robust online safety features to better protect young users.
• Psychological and physical impact. The immersive nature of the metaverse can amplify experiences, leading to more intense psychological effects and make virtual assaults feel much more real, potentially causing significant emotional distress.
• Challenges for children with special needs. Neurodiverse children, particularly those on the autism spectrum, face distinct risks in the metaverse and may be more vulnerable to online harm.

Recommendations for immediate action

The VIRRAC 2 Report outlines several critical recommendations to improve child safety in the metaverse, including: 

• Expand digital literacy education: Digital safety education should begin in primary schools to instil positive online behaviours from an early age.
• Revise online safety legislation to address the unique challenges posed by the 3D virtual reality.   A thorough review of existing safety features implemented by metaverse platforms should help identify best practices.
• Enhance content moderation and the application of safety-by-design principles: Tech companies need to take more ownership of safety and implement proactive measures to prevent harmful behaviours, AI moderation tools can be incredibly useful, however, the need remains for human oversight in sophisticated problems and dilemmas. Without training, important nuances of human behaviour could be missed. 

The report is part of the University of East London’s Year of Health, dedicated to innovating health education, advocating for equitable policies, investing in community-focused care, and using innovative technology to push the boundaries of innovation.

For more information on the VIRRAC findings and access to the toolkit report, visit Toolkit report.

UEL has produced and published on YouTube a series of videos for children to help them safely use the metaverse. 

The VIRRAC project, generously funded by REPHRAINNational Research Centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online, is led by Professor Julia Davidson OBE, Director of the Institute of Connected Communities (University of East London) and Professor Elena Martellozzo, Director at the Centre For Abuse & Trauma Studies (Middlesex University), with crucial support from Dr Ruby Farr, Paula Bradbury and Boglarka Meggyesfalvi. 

Photo by Julien Tromeur on Unsplash

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