Age Restrictions

[Popo]

What's your Minecraft Username?: DarkxWalker
What's the title of your suggestion?: Age Restrictions

What's your suggestion?:
I want to speak about the elephant in the room. Although it's not as noticeable, obvious, or troublesome as I personally see it, it's still a sensitive, vital, and delicate subject to discuss thoroughly. Regardless, I have been an active and consistent participant in roleplay for a long time, whether on appropriate roleplaying platforms such as Discord or Minecraft.

In that regard, you can decipher that a lot of roleplay enthusiasts are legal adults and those who are below the age of eighteen. This is problematic for the roleplay community as a whole, it's a micro-society that deals with the problem of grooming, pedophilia, predatory behavior, and sexual topics. This problem had gotten better over the past few years, as leadership of various roleplay communities are doing their best to shut it down. FantasyRP, for instance, had implemented a rule regarding intimate roleplay between two people's characters. A player above or equivalent to the age of eighteen cannot be in an intimate or romantic relationship in-characterly with an individual below the age of eighteen regardless of the age of the characters themselves, with the exception being the age of seventeen as that's just a reasonable one year gap.

This hasn't been implemented by SchoolRP yet, which makes sense. Not only can it be more troublesome than beneficial, but it is also very difficult to moderate this kind of rule, mostly because a lot of players can easily lie about their age for a feasible relationship that may be morally incorrect. I have personally witnessed it happen: a minor and an unreliable adult develop an intimate bond between their characters. They become closer OOCly as friends as a result, setting off a chain reaction that could lead to the unreliable adult in question grooming the kid in question.

So in all reasonable regards, I am proposing the addition of a new rule (2.7b) to the server that may be seen as complicative or difficult to moderate in the first place.

Spoiler: NEW ADDITION (2.7b)

2.7 Do not participate in conversation regarding inappropriate topics such as sexual, racial, or extremist topics.

2.7a In addition to the rule above, do not engage in any extremist or oppressive behaviours in-character that may reflect you out-of-character.

2.7b In addition to the aforementioned rules above, if you are legally an adult equivalent or older than eighteen, you are not permitted to engage in intimate roleplay with anyone younger than seventeen.

How will this benefit the server and community?:
Some people may see this as completely unnecessary, or even impossible to moderate. I see it as a necessary implementation as I have witnessed unorthodox and completely unacceptable behavior exchanged between untrusted adults and teenagers below the age of eighteen. People who get their characters into intimate relationships will inevitably be closer OOCly, and that may be problematic depending on the ages of the affiliated players which may result in a traumatic experience for the minors in question.

 

[EnderBubs]

Yeah idk why this isn’t a rule to begin with tbh. People above the age of 18 shouldn’t be engaging in RomanceRP with a minor to begin with and the fact people are allowed to currently can result in these bad and uncomfortable situations

Also keep in mind sometimes IC RomanceRP releshionships have lead to things like OOC dating, situationships, and more. While this isn’t the case all the time it is something that does occur due to the nature of what RomanceRP encourages
I’ve seen this rule already be implemented in other RP servers so we can too

 

[Eclipxa]

+1

basically everything that EnderBubs said

 

[Squidjees]

+1

 

[AureolinWander]

The largest +1 I can issue, the size of the moon at least

Oh I could say a LOT about this. As someone who came from a server on another game that crash landed into the sun because of rampant pedophilia I think that rule should have already been a thing, regardless of if its an obvious thing or not at least make it an enforceable obvious thing.

Some ppl will argue "oh well IC relationships aren't always OOC" that doesn't matter you wouldn't engage in sexual or inappropriate conversations with minors, right person reading this? So why would it be okay to be in a dating relationship even if its through OCs????? You are still engaging in inappropriate conversations!

Ok with that aside, we as adults have the responsibility to take care of children that may be in our presence. "Oh but I don't like kids" "Kids shouldn't be my responsibility" shushhhhhh. I cannot believe I have to state that you should care about people and that people does indeed include children. You encounter a child and you make sure your conversation stays platonic, you are respectful, you tell them to eat their vegetables, and you gently but firmly shut down any attempts they may make to be inappropriate and make sure they know that an adult should never accept their advances.

 

[Kana]

+1 this suggestion has been made a billion times, yet it still continues to be ignored. When there are younger, less mature people behind the screen, it's hard for them to differentiate between RP and OOC. Adults can (sometimes even unknowingly) take advantage of this, which is why so many instances of grooming have happened on the server. With a majority teenage playerbase, stuff like this is a NECESSITY, and I can't think of another roleplay server that allows intimate relationships between people who are under 18. Protect your players, and your reputation.

 

[.Arkkwolf]

[+1] For everything that's already been said I agree 100%, in fact from personal experience I can say this is a HUGE issue. And while the #1 RP rule is don't take IC into OOC, you cannot control what people will do, especially when they become attached to/identify with their characters. There are several issues however with regulating this. For instance, as has been previously stated, someone could lie. Having to prove you're of a certain age, exposing IRL information through an ID, or something else is far too troublesome and would bring into question OOC security. It could be put in place, but at the end of the day regulating it would be near impossible, other than some "he said, she said" situations. If there is some way to eliminate OOC exposure of information, and also maintain safety for those under age, heck yeah instill the rule!

 

[Popo]

For instance, as has been previously stated, someone could lie. Having to prove you're of a certain age, exposing IRL information through an ID, or something else is far too troublesome and would bring into question OOC security

Unfortunately, there's absolutely no way to ensure complete honesty regarding age. My intentions with this suggestion is to get this rule added with strict punishment, which will result in complete discouragement from even trying to foul the system in the first place by being dishonest to fease your way around it.

I don't think people should be forced to unveil any sort of identification, I personally wouldn't agree to it as a legal adult. Even if this suggestion gets denied, it's a matter of people needing to understand that it's morally wrong to have any intimate roleplay interactions with minors if you are an adult.

 

[psychoscoiopath]

{+1}
I 100% Agree with this statement as A Minor I have made some mistakes (as all stupid minors do accept from a few, which I do fairly regret. . . Very much so) As I think this should be implemented as a rule because you can never know who is out there. I’m talking like predators for the minors on SRP. This is a very big issue Across a multitude of platforms including servers on Minecraft, Discord, Roblox and Social Media’s as there is predators Everywhere And you never know who could get hurt in the process. Plus say this has happened and the Adult at fault was caught and the child in Question told there guardians and the guardian sues the guy for child ???? (I don’t know the exact term) that can possibly or 100% reprimand SRP for child endangerment legally, and can shut the server down probably And get it in legal trouble for conducting and serving as a player-base. And maybe to add onto this rule maybe add an age-verification feature somehow, and or have an age system via discord Karakura discord servers must all have some age verification via roles. Other than that I‘m 100% Agreeing on this!

 

[Lunameowrp]

1+ yea seriously like the others said

 

[sake]

I don't think it's possible to moderate this, especially on a Minecraft server, it's not really the most logistical thing. I think that it'd be nice if this was heavily recommended, but I believe that in the case that something like this does go too far -- it's reported accordingly and handled as such. This situation on an extreme level is already against the rules.

 

[Iris.fi]

+1

Plsplpsls!!! There is a reason it has been suggested a few times already. The op made amazing points in the previous(?) thread, im not gonna relay them all but I stand with most of them regardless.
[SUGGESTION] OOC Age Gaps in RomanceRP | wesnt

Like many know, grooming and pedophilia are still pretty big issues in the space - which is probably not surprising, considering the mere name of SchoolRP is bound to get the questionable people joining. Something has to be done about it, most active people have known that for years. However, with all love and respect, nothing has changed. Personally, I'm actually a little disappointed to not see any new rules implemented to at least try and help the problem with pedophilia in this space.

I've always known and kept in mind to separate IC and OOC, mainly because it's probably the most important rule when roleplaying. However, you can't expect everyone else to know to follow this rule, especially the younger players. They can try, but it can be difficult for them.

As stated, romanceRP is an effective way to get closer with someone. Most SRP's OOC relationships seem to have started with the players getting closer through romanceRP. Thus, a minor and an adult roleplaying things like that is alarming. RomanceRP should definitely be more closely monitored. I find it SO weird to see an adult and a minor having 6 characters together, all of which are dating and romanceRPing. It might not be an established relationship, but it definitely points to a certain word that starts with g and ends with rooming! I'm a minor myself, but I still feel uncomfortable roleplaying or talking about intimate things with my much younger friends. I don't see how someone much past the age limit of a minor wouldn't feel uncomfortable roleplaying super romantic interactions with a kid. It is a little weird.

One of the most often mentioned counters in the last suggestion thread was to just report it to staff. It kept being brought up constantly. I'll be so honest; saying that a minor just has to report weird behavior is inconsiderate and incredibly rude. I can't think of a tame adjective to use, but just know I wanted to be less censored :( It's obvious you have not understood the way grooming works, or you're just being very insensitive and careless. Most victims don't realize they are a victim until much later or at the very peak of things. The responsibility should be on the adult - not a minor. While some kids can understand that hey! this is a bit weird! most won't report it and might just blame themselves.

Not to mention, it seems like your reports will often be useless unless there's a direct rulebreak involved. I've had some very weird interactions with players, but nothing seems to happen even though I report them.. which, again, is likely because they haven't broken any major rules directly. I'm not saying staff isn't doing their job because I KNOW they're trying their best, it's just that there isn't much to be done when no rules have been directly broken. This means that unless a creep is making it very obvious they're trying to groom a kid, nothing will likely happen because there's no rule in place. Many people seem to forget that grooming does not result in a relationship. It's often a series of manipulating and gaining their trust, so it will be difficult to notice and also to report.



Overall, I just think the rule should be implemented. If it turns out to be somehow abused or not working at all, then move on to a different strategy, but at least try it. I really hope something will be done about the issue in the community.

And before someone accuses anyone of anything, it is a fact that not every adult has set a goal of grooming a kid when doing romanceRP. Of course not. I know many adults who I trust not to ever groom anyone. Most wouldn't. This isn't mean to generalize anyone, minors or adults.

However, if you still feel like you've been personally attacked (perhaps you love to romancerp with kids?), please take a moment off the internet and spend time with your family. There are many wonderful things in life, and one of the things keeping your mental state questionable might very well be the excessive use of the internet and video games. I hope things go well and you can heal before you do horrible things!

TLDR; no shade no disrespect no personal attacks, romancerp between adults and minors is weird, it should be monitored when possible, at least try the rule or make another rule bc not much can be done without one, if youre offended pls heal

I'll edit and add stuff if i have more points later!! Anyway nice suggestion dark good points hope it gets accepted

EDIT; Difficult to monitor and privacy and whatnot

Another point I saw was a privacy concern, which I understand! Now, if you've ever reported one of the adult-minor relationships, you might already know it. The way to overcome this all is by including a screenshot of them saying their age and you saying your age to them! No more, no less. If you're reporting someone for the new rule, you'd just include a screenshot of them telling their age like you would when reporting someone for grooming.

There is no need to monitor every person writing romancerp, especially when the lines of it can be so blurred. However, saying that this rule shouldn't be implemented because it'd be difficult to monitor is ridiculous. Many of the current rules are already very difficult and not even properly monitored, yet they still exist. There should be much more effort put into the safety of minors on this server. Even if the rule is difficult to monitor, it'd still give out the possibility of reporting people for it for appropriate punishment instead. As I said, without a proper rule in place, it's difficult for staff to do much or to even know that it can be veery weird. It's not just about monitoring it, it's about having the option and rule in place when needed.

Just because it might be a privacy concern or difficult to monitor, the problem shouldn't be ignored. I'm sick and tired of having aaabsolutely nothing done about one of the biggest problems on SRP. Seriously, it's insane to say it'll be worked on, yet nothing changes.

 

[jaaaayla]

Your suggestion suggests that players would have to verify their age if accused of violating the rule you've suggested. This would make underage people or just people in general have to release their private information to staff members to verify their age, which is a bit counter-intuitive and also a bit invasive, in my opinion.

Please read the response to a similar suggestion: OOC Age Gaps

 

[Popo]

I don't think it's possible to moderate this, especially on a Minecraft server, it's not really the most logistical thing. I think that it'd be nice if this was heavily recommended, but I believe that in the case that something like this does go too far -- it's reported accordingly and handled as such. This situation on an extreme level is already against the rules.

You see the difficulty to moderate as a way to navigate around not implementing this rule. The implementation of this rule with strict punishment depending on the correct context (e.g; a young player lying about their age to an adult, and then reporting that adult would not result in punishment for the adult themselves) would already discourage people from trying to do this in the first place. Unfortunately, these can be reported but sometimes aren't handled from previous experience.

Your suggestion suggests that players would have to verify their age if accused of violating the rule you've suggested. This would make underage people or just people in general have to release their private information to staff members to verify their age, which is a bit counter-intuitive and also a bit invasive, in my opinion.

Please read the response to a similar suggestion: OOC Age Gaps

There is no issue with players admitting they are a minor, a question like ‘Are you a minor?’ goes a long way. This isn't invasive as implying yourself to be a minor realistically means that you can be anywhere from 13-17 according to internet safety guidelines.

This can be seen as complicated, I understand. However, far more popular roleplay communities have this rule instilled with no issues. Grooming and anything of similar calibre is a big issue, and worrying about someone feeling invaded for something like this is unfortunately not the correct mindset when children can be traumatised or go through a depressive phase long after the adult's actions have already occurred.

 

[sake]

You see the difficulty to moderate as a way to navigate around not implementing this rule. The implementation of this rule with strict punishment depending on the correct context (e.g; a young player lying about their age to an adult, and then reporting that adult would not result in punishment for the adult themselves) would already discourage people from trying to do this in the first place. Unfortunately, these can be reported but sometimes aren't handled from previous experience.


There is no issue with players admitting they are a minor, a question like ‘Are you a minor?’ goes a long way. This isn't invasive as implying yourself to be a minor realistically means that you can be anywhere from 13-17 according to internet safety guidelines.

This can be seen as complicated, I understand. However, far more popular roleplay communities have this rule instilled with no issues. Grooming and anything of similar calibre is a big issue, and worrying about someone feeling invaded for something like this is unfortunately not the correct mindset when children can be traumatised or go through a depressive phase long after the adult's actions have already occurred.

That's what I'm saying, there's no way to CONFIRM anybody's age for sure. Situations like these are very, very subjective. Lots of things depend on context and who specifically is involved. It's something that's as strict as it can get as far as the internet goes. The only method of confirming someone's age is pretty invasive, and also something minors shouldn't really be putting out on the internet - that just breaks another safety boundary for them.

 

[Renidite]

Honestly, this would almost be impossible to moderate. While yes this kind of thing is a very serious thing in all communities not just SRP, you are stating that Minors and Adults should not engage in ic relationships, but what about the people who lie about their age on SRP or even refuse to give an age or even specify "Yeah I'm a minor" or "Yeah I'm an adult." There is no way to moderate this, and this goes both ways for both children and adults. People would also have to realise their private information to people online they don't even know, which in itself asking someone to verify their age via an identification card would break a rule as well.

2.8 Players are not to leak personal information or dox another player’s information.

You would be asking for someone's personal information, which again is a doxxing thing... Asking for someone's personal infomation to my knowledge also goes in with the

2.8a If involved with a player who is threatening your information or harassing you over a third-party messaging service, block and report their account on that respective platform.
Which again asking someone to verify their identification can be seen as harassment especially online.

If you see someone's character who is 20, as they oocly who is 16 years old, then you need to step offline and reconsider playing on a Minecraft server full of children.

 

[AAadhira]

Let me give my honest review, because I have spoke to people about this topic already regarding the rule suggested.

1. For a server 13+, it is thought that people are to be mature with what they act and action which makes the roleplaying experience beneficial for all parties involved; however this does not take place when people decide to commit to inhumane actions between characters and take it oocly. On my time of the server, I have not seen people committing any negative acts towards minors or anyone for that matter; however this is also because I do not snoop onto other people who are casually hanging out with friends.

Verify Your Age: A topic that has been brought up before within the thread. It is impossible to do so unless someone provides validation for their ooc identity; which violates the rule in such of protecting the identity of the players involved. And even in such, people suggest taking a screenshot of what they 'claim' their age to be; this screenshot could be a lie or a truthful indicator no matter what. This will be expanded upon in my next point.

Adults Should Know How To Act Towards Minors: This is argued with the position that minors should also be mindful of who they are roleplaying with. Not everyone in the server is comfortable with revealing their age, some lie about ages just to meet the expectation towards those they want to roleplay with. A roleplay scenario goes both ways. Comfort needs to be shown with both parties oocly to have an ic relation going. This is simply done with communication; if one makes another uncomfortable with the way they roleplay, a simple 'I dont feel comfortable' is more than enough to make it stop; if not then a report is to be made.

2. People being claimed to take an ic relationship towards oocly making people uncomfortable has also been a talked about thing within the thread here; so I will also address it. Both parties should identify their ooc responsibilities with themselves and their state. Obviously anything happening cannot be fully prevented, but law enforcements are there to do so. Reports of the topic are prominent when it comes to these types of thing; this is the issue, NO ONE REPORTS IT.

Reporting: Reporting goes a long way to better a server or any roleplaying area. The issue is, when someone is uncomfortable with the person they feel they could have trusted, no one reports it. Everything is usually said and tossed around to the point where no one knows the original source. And by the time it gets back, the sender states they had no part in it and nothing is done. Staff wont know about an issue unless a report is made on it. If you feel uncomfortable with someone you are roleplaying with, have the screenshots of what they have done, and the conversation about the topics in question; a report can be made for a staff member to deal with.

Character Interactions: Rules regarding character interactions are already made, validation of ages are up towards both parties in the problem. People have the mindset to keep character separate with personal life. The issue with that is some people mix the two up to better their personal gains. Again, as stated before it is not easy to validate the age of a minor. For the message of romance roleplay, one's definition of affection is NOT the same as another's. Some people seek discomfort with roleplaying kissing, while others are as far as taking it to a further height to the roleplaying scenario. THE ROLEPLAY IS THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOTH PARTIES. And once again, reports should be made accordingly if violating the protection of the player base, and discomfort for anyone in the scenario.

The Age In Question: As stated before, the age of eighteen is classified to the collective as the age of adultery. However, in other places, the age of adultery is different compared to collective places. This means a person of eighteen in one place could classify as an adult, where as eighteen in another place is classified as a minor in another. Not every place in the world relies on the same format of age. With that being said, an ooc relationship forming could create issues in the roleplaying industry; which I have stated can be different depending on the location the players are in. Which, again, cannot be evidently proven as such as people do not feel comfortable releasing private information about themselves.

---

In conclusion, age cannot be easily identifiable as, people decide to change their age identification and lie about it online all the time. No one in their life has NOT lied about their age at least once when they were younger. From my position, a report of the person with proof of acts inappropriate to the school roleplay Discord and Minecraft server should be created appropriately when discomfort of the situation happens. Reports come a long way and staff replies to these types of cases extremely quickly within the server.

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[DarkEclipic]

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Health & Safety This has been re-posted! If you haven't read this document, we strongly suggest doing so. INFORMATION The following document is created with the sole intention of providing the player-base with guidance and a general resource to learn safe & responsible internet etiquette...

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[KimiNoUso]

Denied
Thank you for your suggestion!