Patent ID: 8099668

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for protecting a user of a virtual environment, comprising: providing, on a computer readable storage medium, a plurality of definitions of inappropriate interactions between users of the virtual environment, the inappropriate interactions being defined on a basis of leading to potential harm to users of the virtual environment; receiving one or more indications of an interaction between a first user and a second user of the virtual environment, and upon determining that the one or more indications correspond to at least one of the plurality of definitions of inappropriate interactions: determining a level of trust between the first user and the second user; determining a level of severity for the at least one inappropriate interaction between the first user and the second user of the virtual environment based on the level of trust and the one or more indications, wherein the level of severity represents one of a plurality of levels of potential harm that may occur to the second user because of the at least one inappropriate interaction; determining, based on the level of severity, one or more actions to protect the second user from potential harm due to the inappropriate interaction; and performing the determined one or more actions.