Reporters and journalists have a code of ethics. I promise, it’s there and I know, I can feel the antipathy emanating from you. In today’s world it does appear that there are more than a few news outlets that only care about how many people come to their site. They skirt the ethical and moral guidelines associated with being a member of the media. And let’s throw this out there, that is why some us are were we are in terms of our employers.

You want truth, I’ll give you truth. ESPN and its esports news room and editorial staff are there for a reason. They do things right. They are the gold standard and epitome of what newsroom ethics should look like. Yes, I work here at VPEsports, but if I cannot note that there are publications that are doing things right and learn from them, VPesports would be like a lot of other sites–but we aren’t. We look at those we respect and learn. And then there are those we look at and quietly note they are hurting the industry, learning how not to do things from them.

Such as the case with an article published over at Inverse with the subtitle, “This NSFW practice is basically in-game sexual assault–but many angry gamers don’t see what all the fuss is about.” Powerful and striking words–sexual assault. So what could they be talking about that, Corey Plante, the author claims is sexual assault? Cartoon teabagging. Most if not all of you know what teabagging is, but for the context of discussion here are the two definitions at play:

Repeated insertion of ones testicles in another’s mouth.

Continuously crouching on a dead body in a video game as a joke or to make fun of another player.

Ok so now you have an idea. Teabagging in the real world is a sexual act that some do for pleasure and has landed some in big trouble for doing it as a joke to unconscious people–a heinous act. So in the real world there is a dichotomy in which people commit the act. I’m not concerned with what people want to do in their own bedrooms, that’s not an issue. Teabag away. The issue here is that the author of the Inverse piece has misrepresented the issue of sexual assault in one of the most negligent and irresponsible accounts to date in the gaming industry.

Take a look at the video and judge for yourself.

A cartoon character eliminated another player from the game, stood over him and crouched numerous times simulating which in the gaming world is teabagging. That happened. However, to label an act of video game cartoon crouching repeatedly over a downed opponent as sexual assault is simply absurd and they should be ashamed for demeaning what sexual assault really is.

Sexual assault is a serious issue, one of which I have to take numerous classes on as a former law enforcement officer. It isn’t something to trifle with.

In every statute, in every state in the country including Federal statutes, there must be actual human physical contact to commit the act of sexual assault or sexual battery. Pay attention:

You can’t sexually assault someone in a video game.

To claim that someone in a video game has committed sexual assault is egregious and quite frankly could be subject to defamation. And the misinformation afforded in the Inverse piece goes further.

“Teabagging is a horrifying act of sexual assault in real-life, which is why so many take extreme offense to its representation in video games,” another completely false statement. As noted, teabagging is a sexual act some people enjoy. I mean it’s not for me, but to each their own. However, as a journalist to throw a blanket statement down that teabagging is a horrifying act of sexual assault isn’t always true and in most instances isn’t. What was Plante thinking throwing out statements such as this that are simply false. Did he do any research?

I have met and helped victims of actual sexual assault. To see the words sexual assault used in this absurdly erroneous context is infuriating and Plante should be ashamed.

I’ll do the research for you.

What is sexual assault according to the law – Sexual Assault defined

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization – Sexual Assault defined.

RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline – Information

If you have been the victim of sexual assault or other sex crimes there is a place that can help. RAINN can be reached at (800) 656.HOPE (4673).