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To fight against cyberbullying and protect against it, several online games, including Fortnite, have included “safe zones” directly in the game, spaces dedicated to speaking and information for the youngest.
According to a survey carried out for the Association e-Enfance in 2022, one in five young people aged 6 to 18 has already been confronted with a situation of cyberbullying. social networks, but also network games. To deal with this scourge, operators such as Orange are gradually taking their share of responsibility.
What is a safe zone?
Since November 2022, the operator has thus installed “safe zones” (safety zone) in the heart of games, such as Fortnite, which concern the player himself and not his character. How does this translate? While the child’s avatar evolves in his game, sometimes in connection with other online players, he can now come across a safe zone: a room for example, which allows several interactions.
- In this area away from the game, the child can answer questions about the dangers of the digital world and win points and rewards.
- He can also be put directly in contact with a cyberbullying expert to discuss within a space of trust.
Good in your body, good in your head!
Raising awareness of cyberbullying through gaming
The strength of these safe zones lies in their location: by taking over the gamers’ own playgrounds, the “maps”, these spaces of trust have every chance of reaching their audience and offering them a place to confide in directly in case of cyberbullying by a third party. In order to raise awareness and help players who are victims of cyberbullying, other safe zones will be deployed in other online games such as Roblox and Minecraft.
As a reminder, there is also an emergency number in France for victims of digital violence, the 3018.