Virtual reality project helps educate young people about the consequences of knife crime
An immersive virtual reality (VR) project has been launched to help educate young people in Nottingham about the dangers and potentially devastating consequences of carrying a knife.
Using VR headsets, two groups of students from The Bulwell Academy were placed into realistic scenarios where they were faced with making decisions in response to what they witnessed first-hand, allowing them to experience the potential consequences of knife crime in a safe environment, and then seeing how their choices influenced the outcome of the experience.
The aim of the initiative, which was launched on Friday (13 February), is to help young people understand the dangers and long-term impact of carrying a knife.
Police officers also feature in the VR experience, lending authenticity to the scenarios and helping to reinforce the real-world consequences of knife crime.
Following their VR experiences, participants are then invited to take part in a number of workshops to discuss and share the issues raised, reflect on their own experiences, and to understand the impact of their choices.
A total of 15 VR headsets have been procured and licensed to the force to deliver the Virtual Decisions: KNIVES programme in schools and community venues in Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Police staff are being trained on how to deliver the sessions which will be initially delivered over the next year.
This interactive anti-knife crime initiative is thanks to funding obtained through the Hotspot Action Fund (HAF) - a Home Office-funded initiative aimed at tackling serious violence, knife crime, and antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the areas most affected across Nottinghamshire.
Students from The Bulwell Academy have previously shared powerful ideas on tackling crime and improving safety as part of a pioneering Youth Listening Project.
The project aims to ensure young people’s voices are at the forefront of efforts to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour while empowering them to play an active role in shaping safer communities.
As part of this project, dedicated sessions have been held at schools, where facilitators worked with students to discuss their experiences, feelings of safety, and ideas for improving their communities.
These sessions are part of a wider initiative funded by the Safer Streets programme, led by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Angela Kandola said: “This is a great follow-up to what young people have told us through our Youth Listening Project.
“The innovative headsets put young people in realistic situations and show in a powerful and memorable way just how quickly choices can escalate and the lasting consequences they can carry.
“By listening first and then acting, we’re making sure our prevention work is shaped by young people themselves.
“It gives them the knowledge, confidence and support to choose a safer path and help us build safer communities across Nottinghamshire.”
Inspector Paul Peatfield, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Preventing and reducing knife crime and making our streets as safe as possible are key priorities for the force.
“Changing attitudes and behaviours around knives, including through early intervention in schools and colleges, is key to our partnership approach to tackling knife crime.
“These VR headsets and interactive experiences are an excellent way of engaging with young people about the dangers of carrying knives and opening their eyes to the potential consequences of knife crime in a trauma-informed safe environment.
“We hope the launch of this VR initiative will support our wider ongoing work to reduce incidents and keep our young people and our communities safe.”
Matt Irons, Principal at The Bulwell Academy, added: “The Bulwell Academy is a proud partner of Nottinghamshire Police and on Friday our pupils had the opportunity to immersive themselves in a VR experience that demonstrated the real‑world consequences of knife crime and reinforced the school’s commitment to innovation, safety and personal development.
"The pupils engaged in thoughtful discussion about the choices that they make and their potential impact.
"It was a wonderful experience for all of the children involved and I’m certainly keen to explore how we can reach more children across the academy."