How virtual reality is helping tackle knife crime in the West Midlands
Teenagers are given VR headsets to immerse them into life-like situations
Last updated 8th Aug 2023
Virtual reality is being used across the West Midlands to help tackle knife crime.
Birmingham based organisation, Round Midnight LTD, are working with West Midlands Police to educate teenagers through an immersive VR film.
Titled "Virtual decisions: knives," teenagers find themselves immersed in life-like scenarios where they must make critical decisions as the situation unfolds.
The West Midlands has the highest rate of knife crime in the country with police recording 152 offences per 100,000 of the population in 2021-22.
The VR experience has been delivered to more than 15,000 children aged 11 to 14, and is aimed at challenging perceptions about the impact of knife crime on individuals and their communities.
Claire Downes, who is the founder and director of Round Midnight, said: "You've got to use tech that they will respond to. Young people walk into the room where the headsets are and they want to have a go, because it's their technology, it's something they're familiar with.
"It's about that being a catalyst for having conversations with young people about their behaviour and their attitudes around carrying a weapon.
"And about ways to risk assess situations that they could potentially be in- ultimately keeping themselves safer."
It's now being used across the country as a tool to help end knife crime.