Kayla “Red” Zuromski
Andrew Vetsch
Juwan Guinyard
Nina Dondero
Kelly Turner
This is a submission for the U.S. Department of Education EdSim Challenge. This virtual reality experience that is being proposed is an immersive first and third person experience involving emotional abuse and learning about the signs, how the victims feels, and how to help.
Abuse is very common in the American society. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle describes abuse as “a pattern of behavior used to gain and maintain power and control” and can take on many different forms. While physical abuse takes the spotlight for the term of abuse, verbal or emotional abuse is just as dangerous, and even more common. According to the American Psychological Association, about 1 in 10 high school students will experience physical abuse from a significant other, with even more being the victim of verbal or emotional abuse (American Psychological Association). Some of the characteristics of emotional abuse includes threatening, insulting, constant monitoring, humiliation, or stalking by one’s partner (National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle). According to the Global Times, extreme cases of emotional abuse can lead to post traumatic stress disorder.
There are many different behaviors of emotional abuse that many people may not recognize that could cause emotional harm. While some are obvious like someone yelling at their partner, blaming their partner for their abusive behavior, or stalking, there are some behaviors that are not as obvious. These would include intentionally embarrassing their partner in public, making their significant other feel guilty for not wanting to participate in sexual activities, and controlling what their partner wears. Emotional abuse can become even more dangerous, such as damaging property when angry, preventing their partner from seeing their friends and family, and threats to harm one’s pets and loved ones (National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle).
When it comes to educating people on this topic, a virtual reality experience involving emotional abuse could immerse the viewer to demonstrate how harmful this abuse is. The experience would be both in first person and third person, allowing the viewer to watch from the outside, as well as become the victim. Before the program starts, there will be a trigger warning for viewers, letting them know of the mature content of the virtual reality experience. For the third person point of view, the person using the virtual reality app would be able to watch as the abuser yells harmful and controlling dialogue, as well as how the victim reacts to the abuse. There will be extras in the background to simulate a public environment and users will be able to see how others react when viewing someone being abused. After viewing the argument, the user will be given three options: do nothing, interfere themselves, or the call the police. For the do nothing option, the viewer will just walk away and not try to help. If they try to intervene, the abuser will either turn their attack on the viewer, or walk away. If the user decides to call the police, the user will see a police intervention between the couple. During the first person experience, the viewer will be in the place of the victim, with the abuser name calling and threatening the viewer. The user will be able to notice the fear the victim has, from a shaking camera and backing away from the attacker. Both of these experiences will promote empathy with the person using the program. By letting them experience these events head on, they will understand how this type of abuse is just as harmful as physical or sexual abuse.
When looking at virtual reality programs that are similar to the one being proposed, one example is the virtual reality program created at the University of Houston. Established in 2002, the program was designed to help people who are suffering from some sort of mental, behavioral, or drug problem. The program puts the users in virtual situations that could trigger them, such as a bar if they have a drinking problem (University of Houston). Through the program, they are taught skills and techniques in real time by a therapist that can stop them from relapsing in the future. The program works by fully immersing them within the situation, including sight, sound, and smell (University of Houston). It offers a safe environment for the user to learn and practice good techniques that could help them out of their current mental state.
When creating the emotional abuse virtual reality, the program that would be the most beneficial would be the Google Cardboard. The set up runs off of a virtual reality app that can be downloaded onto the phone for free, making the experience available to anyone with a smartphone. Google Cardboard would be the most beneficial for the program because of how inexpensive it is. One Google Cardboard is only $30, compared to an Oculus headset which is about $1,500 (Ralph). The program would be able to reach more people because of its price, spreading the information through cheaper means.
If this prototype was ever created, the next step would be to create a virtual reality experience that involves emotional abuse between a parent and a child. Emotional abuse is as dangerous for a child and parent as it is in an intimate relationship.
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Work Cited
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N.d. Dr. Phil. Web. 8 Dec. 2016. <http://www.drphil.com/advice/emotional-abuse-the-victim-and-abuser/>.
N.d. Independent. Web. 8 Dec. 2016. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/weapon-of-choice-verbal-abuse-campaign-sees-victims-physically-scarred-by-the-words-used-against-9445886.html>.
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“Love Doesn’t Have to Hurt Teens.” American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 2016. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
Ralph, Nate. “Google Cardboard Review.” CNET. CBS Interactive Inc., 06 June 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
“Safe Voices | Abuse Statistics.” Safe Voices. Safe Voices, 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. <http://www.safevoices.org/statistics.php>.
“Types of Abuse.” Www.loveisrespect.org. National Domestic Violence Hotline & Break the Cycle, 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
“UH Moment: Unique Virtual Reality Lab Expands, Tackles Heroin Addiction.” University of Houston. University of Houston, 28 July 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.