Accountability, as ReSpec has discovered, is a difficult path to navigate alone. “We’ve had a lot of these conversations: These people want to change but they don’t know if that’s possible or how,” Lin says. “It really seemed like they were missing some key knowledge to change their behavior, move forward and grow.”
Reporting even a single abuser can be quite difficult for victims, who sometimes do not show up for a hearing. Variety of reasons, including security, legal concerns, and the sheer difficulty of the process. And removing a person does not defeat the culture, systems, or decisions that got them there. It does not always prevent the individuals responsible for the abuse from continuing to do so elsewhere.
Part of ReSpec’s program relies on monthly virtual community meetings where people can come forward to talk and share their experiences, much like other support groups. It is not limited to one country or continent; Anyone in the program can join, although the program currently only has English speakers. “Basically, we just facilitate the space for them to connect with each other and offer them guidance on how harassment and abuse occur,” Lin says.
The point is not to allow or dismiss what they have done. “It’s very careful to strike a balance,” Lin adds. “What you are experiencing matters. We believe in you. What you did was wrong, and if that’s something you believe too, we’re here to talk about how you might want that to change.”
the group is No a method of connecting abusers with their victims, forcing apologies, or offering some proof of “rehabilitation” to the general public. It is also not a formal program; There is no six-month plan where everyone gets a badge at the end.
Lin understands that to some, ReSpec’s mission may seem contradictory or even controversial: a survivor-focused hotline that transitioned to supporting abusers. They consider it the same type of community work that focuses on violence prevention. ReSpec hasn’t turned anyone away entirely, but the act of participating in their community still requires effort on the part of whoever shows up. Since its inception, the nonprofit has held 25 group sessions. Lin says that between them and their co-facilitator Carl Murray Olsen, they have had 57 one-on-one meetings.
Jonathan previously knew Lin from gaming circles, and they initially approached him about ReSpec at the time of its release. He has been working with the program since then, but feels his goals will last a lifetime. “It’s a really difficult thing,” he says. “It’s not something you can just pay lip service to. You have to work hard to truly understand yourself, understand your actions, understand your motivations, understand how you got to a place where your behaviors don’t align with your values, and truly reconcile yourself to the point where you can evolve beyond. that.”
He doesn’t have a clear idea of who should be able to work in the space again, or what that might mean. “I think it’s more about working hard on yourself to get better,” she says. Harm is not just about someone’s actions, but about how people continue to show up in spaces where they have caused harm. “It’s not worth it to hurt those people again by being in a similar space or expressing your opinion,” she says. “I think that’s part of owning your actions and taking responsibility for the things you’ve done. You have to accept those consequences.”
ReSpec is not a gold star to stick on a resume or a guarantee of change. It is a step in the process of making the gaming industry safer. “I’ve heard many survivors say, ‘I just don’t want this person to hurt anyone else,’” Lin says. It’s one of the reasons they believe survivors choose to come forward or write complaints. But for what comes next — education, explanations, all the work people ask survivors to do — “we hope to offload some of that work,” Lin says. “No survivor should be asked to patiently explain themselves.”