> “There’s a long standing view that these kinds of assaults — this kind of abuse — isn’t as real and not as serious,” she said.<p>That's the "view" - it's just a matter of perspective. Sure you or I might prefer to be "raped" 10x in the Metaverse over just once in real life, but that's just because of our prejudices. "Experts" assure is it's just as real - after all, the article opens with an "attack" that made a researcher's heart race. Like watching a horror movie or being a real murder victim of a killer clown, if it both makes your heart race, then it's the same.