AAESEMO, the Moselle association for educational and social action in an open environment, follows young people aged 8 to 17, who are the subject of legal measures for penal reparation, or who have been victims of violence at school. In order to help them, she has just acquired a virtual reality headset, specifically to fight against bullying at school. In the amount of 7,000 euros, it will be used from next january, with adolescent perpetrators or victims.
Free speech
This helmet, named “Fred”, was designed by the ARCA (Association for Research in Applied Criminology). Its principle is simple: by wearing it, the viewer is immersed in a virtual, soothing environment. It is therefore easier for him to think, to question himself, and especially toto be confronted with his victim or his aggressor, in an indirect way. “The author will hear the recording of the questions that the victim will ask him, and the victim will be able to have, a little later, the answers of his attacker.“, explains Sophie Maurice-Pluchon, director of AAESEMO.
Virtual reality is a preferred way to address this audience : “These young people know the virtual world. The helmet will be a very attractive tool, it will speak to them“, estimates Sophie Maurice-Pluchon. Another advantage still,”the author will not have any fear, because the educator will not be in this virtual world“.
Facilitate the perpetrator-victim encounter
Above all, this tool will allow professionals to do “a real preliminary work, both with the perpetrators and the victims, to envisage, perhaps, a real meeting afterwards“. Sophie Maurice-Pluchon hopes that this helmet will help raise awareness of the perpetrators of school violence the impact and consequences of their actions on their victims. The advantage will also be, for the victim, to build his thinking in relation to what she wants to say to her stalker.