The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Virtual reality protection against online predators
Abertay University graduate team Pocket Sized Hands has created a series of virtual reality video games to protect children from online predators.
The technology will teach members of the public to spot signs of grooming and coercive control.
Award-winning Dundeebased VR developers Pocket Sized Hands teamed up with Northumbria University to create three different games which are to be used in schools, colleges and local events across the country.
Players will be faced with discovering a number of “red flags” and warning signs people may face in real-life.
Game developers worked closely with police officers to ensure the games are as realistic as possible.
Gary McCartan, Pocket Sized Hands managing director, said: “Virtual reality offers a novel opportunity to truly immerse yourself in a situation – you really feel like you’re somewhere else. It’s this depth of experience which makes it a great teaching tool.
“While you’ll enjoy the experience of being in a new virtual world, you also learn things that you can take forward into real life.
“We’ve had great feedback from Northumbria Police and there’s the potential that this could lead on to different projects looking at different scenarios within everyday life.”
The head of safeguarding at Northumbria Police, Chief Superintendent Scott Hall, said: “Our aim is to get everyone thinking more about what vulnerability is and how we can all do our bit in society to help others who can’t help themselves.
“We need the public to be our ears in the community and if something doesn’t look or feel right, we need you to tell us so we can help.”