Statement of the Bleedin' Obvious Award
the researchers observe that their findings support a growing body of evidence that people will readily abuse robots.
People will readily abuse bus shelters, the wall of that alley down to the car park behind the Co-Op, or - in one celebrated local case - the wall opposite a solicitor's office who was presumably responsible for a bad day in court for someone, judging by the tenor of the character assessment sprayed on it in two-foot high letters. Why wouldn't they abuse robots too, especially if they expected not to get caught?
Differential levels of abuse for "female" / "non-white" mechanoids is news, certainly, though anyone surprised by it really should come out from under their rock and have a look at the world.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
