Kathryn E. Ringland, Christine T. Wolf,

Lynn Dombrowski, Gillian R. Hayes

Department of Informatics

University of California, Irvine

MAKING “SAFE”: COMMUNITY-CENTERED PRACTICES IN A

VIRTUAL WORLD DEDICATED TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

• Customizable• Open-ended virtual

world• Unique world every

time world is created

MINECRAFT

MINECRAFT

• Accessible for young players – does not require programming skills

• Allows for socializing• Diverse range of

activities

“[the] first Minecraft server dedicated to providing a safe, fun and learning environment for children on the autism spectrum and their families”

AUTCRAFT

• Participant observations in virtual world

• Analysis of in-world chat, forum posts, Facebook page & website

METHODS

• Inappropriate content• Fear of strangers• Bullying in virtual

spaces – negative aggressive behavior

ONLINE RISKS FOR CHILDREN

No one likes to be called a name, no one likes it when

someone is mean to them, and no one likes to be bullied

ONLINE RISKS FOR CHILDREN

All of these people were telling the same stories, about how their children were

bullied on every server they tried. Even on XBox, where you can only play with people

you add as a "friend"... it was [nonstop] bullying. Either killing them all the time,

stealing their things, destroying everything [they] build.

ONLINE RISKS FOR CHILDREN

Most players come to us with tales of bullying and hate from other servers. Many of those same players experience the same thing from school and in other aspects of their life. They feel they have no friends,

no one to talk to and they are angry.

ONLINE RISKS FOR CHILDREN

We want [this server] to be a safe, happy, comfortable place for all our players to

enjoy no matter what they're afraid of or who they're talking to.

BEYOND AVOIDING RISK

• Adults who co-own the virtual world

• Full access to all virtual world software

• Ability to mute & jail users

• Ability to kick players off the server

• Ability to view all private messages sent by users

RULE ENFORCERS – ADMINISTRATORS

• Adult volunteers• Ability to mute & jail users• Ability to view all private messages sent

between users

RULE ENFORCERS – SENIOR HELPERS

“Jr. Helpers – Always helpful. Helpers are

picked because they help others and they help the

community. They also follow the rules. The [administrators] are

always watching. Don’t ask to become a helper.

We will ask you when we think you are ready.” – message to all players

RULE ENFORCERS – JUNIOR HELPERS

<(JrHelper) bb1135> matt_awesome please stop

<matt_awesome> Ok sorry

<matt_awesome> I just told about the rules

<cryptic1200> we wouldn't want autistic people to breed, obviously...

<cryptic1200> that was sarcasm

<matt_awesome> Listen to bb1

<(SrHelper) GlovedPlayer> Hey, Cryptic, that's not the point and it's a mean thing to say, even if you're joking :/

RULE ENFORCEMENT

*All user names are pseudonyms.

• Software modifications to the virtual world

• Technology-assisted rule enforcement

VIRTUAL WORLD MODIFICATIONS

• Online risks – inappropriate content, bullying

• Risks in rule enforcement – not allowing children to learn and grow through risk taking

BALANCING RISKS

…we encourage everyone to be generous, to be nice and to help as

much as you can. You don't have to give your stuff away but to just give someone a little

help if they need it. And always do your best to

remember to say "please" and "thank you".

GIFT GIVING

Another child gave [my son] gifts today and he was shocked. A little while later he said to me, ‘I didn’t really want to, but I gave some gifts away to others. It makes me

want to give things to people.’ It is a new thing for him to want to share.

GIFT GIVING

Safety is a process that is dynamic, contextual & emergent

• Minecraft is an example of an open-ended virtual world platform that allows users to customize the play to their needs

• Parents work collaboratively to create safe online environments for their children with autism to play in

• Parents work not only to avoid risks, but also make children feel cared for

TAKE-AWAYS

THANK YOU

kringlan@uci.edu

kateringland.net