Response to "Rape in Cyberspace"

Did Bungle commit rape? It is amazing that such a weighty question should be hard to answer - or maybe not so much. Bungle might have been a virtual character, and his victims might have been as well, but but his actions were no less harmful, painful, or preventable for not having happened in "real life". His rampage shocked other web users, and their responses mirrored those of victims of sexual abuse and rape. They felt angry, deeply affected, and in need of an answer as to why Bungle did what he did. They were innocent bystanders. Than again, physical rape, or an act of rape in the "real world" instead of the internet, strikes me as more serious. It doesn't just affect the victim's psychological ability, but risks his or her health as well - both of these can have long-term effects in a way that this internet-rape did not. None of the web users Bungle attacked are going to find out they have an STD because of the rape.

Nonetheless, the internet is so ubiquitous, and people's lives become more and more entwined with it, so they should have certain unambiguous rights while online. That includes the courtesies and rights acknowledged in "real life". Whether or not victims should seek the same kind of legal action taken against a "real life" rape, though, I'm not sure about. Punishment is in order, since Bungle abused his right to free speech, but as to what it is I could not begin to say. More knowledge of Habeus Corpus is required.