âŠdonât forget that some of the flags of an abusive roleplayer are identical to the ones for abusive RL relationships.
The Idolize > Isolate > Devalue > Discard cycle that we see in a lot of abusive RL relationships is actually creepily common online and devastating to the victim, despite the lack of physical damage in most cases (I say âmostâ because I have seen people driven to self-harm or suicide attempts by online abuse of this type).
Idolize: the abuser is desperate to roleplay with the target. They lavish them with attention, gifts, plots, writing, and/or art. The abuser will do anything to become the targetâs new best friend. Â Some abusers will become irrationally angry if rejected at this stage and transition into stalking and/or harassment.
Isolate: the abuser begins peeling the target away from any existing friends or RP partners. Theyâll attempt to occupy all their online time and suggest they do a lot of one-on-one roleplay in private with them. When in multi-person scenes, they will deliberately alienate the targetâs other friends either by acting out, attacking them, or intentionally making RP awkward or impossible for everyone but their target. Gaslighting starts. They may complain the targetâs friends are âmeanâ or âjealousâ and attempt to instigate arguments where the target will feel the need to defend them and further alienate their friends. Lavishing with gifts continues in this phase.
Devalue:Â when their target is cut off from everyone else, the honeymoon ends. Gaslighting ramps up massively. They still want to roleplay with the target, but the target suddenly canât seem to do anything right. Â The targetâs self-esteem is systematically degraded. Plots revolve increasingly around the abuserâs character with the targetâs being an expendable, breakable prop. They attempt to push their target into roleplay they donât enjoy or are actively afraid of, and respond to objections or refusals with manipulative behavior like crying, insults, or threatening abandonment. Â In extreme cases, the abuser may feign self-harm or suicidal impulses and present them to the target as the targetâs fault, i.e. âLOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO.â Â Gifts only come as âmakeupâ presents after a fight and are generally presented in public so that all seems well to anyone not involved. They are now the targetâs only major roleplay partner and use that as a weapon.Â
Discard: the abuser finds a new idol. Gaslighting hits maximum, convincing the target that theyâre the reason the abuser doesnât want to play with them anymore and that no one will ever want to play with them. Finally, they drop their current target and ignore them or harass them, often resorting to scorched-earth tactics and spreading rumors to make sure their victim has difficulty reconnecting with others. The target and their character are usually badly damaged, possibly irreparably.
Abusive roleplayers like this usually leave a trail of shattered guilds and broken people behind and often move games or servers when chasing a new target. Due to their habit of giving gifts in public and abusing in private, they may even have a good reputation in the community and staunch defenders (especially if theyâre well-known for their writing, art, or crafts).Â
In other words, good fucking luck catching them before they hurt someone.
Since this kind of abuse is hard to see from the inside until itâs already too late, the biggest thing you can do is watch out for your friends and guildies. Â Weâre all weirdos here, and we need to keep each other safe. Â If you feel like somebodyâs new RP partner is trying to separate them from their support system, donât be afraid to speak up. Â I donât care if they write like the next Hemingway or their art appears to have been shat right out of Da Vinciâs asshole, they donât get a pass.
If you feel like or know that this type of abuse is happening to you, remember that no plot or friendship is worth your mental health. Â Walk away if you can, get someone you trust to help you if you canât (yes, even the old friends you told to fuck off and leave you alone - they probably have a strong suspicion of why). Â Take screenshots or chatlogs so you have some defense against gaslighting or malicious rumors. Â Youâre not alone, no matter what they tell you.
