  People leverage avatars to communicate nonverbal behaviors in immersive
virtual reality (VR), like interpersonal distance [2, 6] and virtual touch [5].
However, violations of appropriate physical distancing and unsolicited intimate
touching behavior in social virtual worlds represent potential social and
psychological virtual harm to older adolescent users [4, 8]. Obtaining peer
acceptance and social rewards, while avoiding social rejection can drive older
adolescent behavior even in simulated virtual spaces [1, 3], and while "the
beginning of adolescence is largely defined by a biological event, [...] the
end of adolescence is often defined socially" [3] (p.912). Avatar crossing, the
phenomenon of avatars walking through each other in virtual environments, is a
unique capability of virtual embodiment, and others intriguing possibilities
and ethical concerns for older adolescents experiencing social virtual spaces.
For example, the ability to cross through and share positions with other
avatars in a virtual classroom helps students concentrate on accessing and
comprehending information without concerns about blocking others when
navigating for better viewpoints [10]. However, the ability to cross through
others in virtual spaces has been associated with a reduction in perceived
presence and avatar realism, coupled with a greater level of discomfort and
intimidation in comparison to avatar collisions [12]. In this article, we
consider the potential benefits and harms of utilizing avatar crossing with
adolescent users.
