Virtual Reality and online games to assess and prevent risk behaviors during childhood and adolescence
Chair(s): ANNALAURA NOCENTINI (UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE, Italy)
Virtual and Augmented Reality, Simulation and Serious Games are digital technologies that have been introduced for psychological assessment and health prevention and promotion in recent decades. Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool used as a learning environment or simulation scenario with a viewer, glasses, and controllers. Its ability to create immersive, engaging, and standardized environments offers unique opportunities for intervention and assessment (Tomczyk et al., 2024). Online simulation games and serious games have proven to be effective and highly motivational educational tools that can increase awareness, teach knowledge, change behavior, and improve skills (Calderon & Ruiz, 2015). Common game mechanics include graphic adventure, role-playing, simulation, question-answer, and narrative games. However, to date, existing interventions are still limited in number and evidence of effectiveness, and there is a clear need for further research before scaling up to effective levels (Halldorsson et al., 2021).
The current symposium aims to discuss the latest technologies used as assessment or intervention tools in the field of aggressive behavior. The different aggressive outcomes (i.e., bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, conduct problems), the different technologies used (VR, online narrative games), and the different mechanism and psychological processes involved are a strength of the symposium.
The first presentation proposed by Ručević and colleagues, focuses on the effectiveness of VR as a tool to study conduct problems and behavioral traits in Croatian children. The second presentation proposed by De Luca and colleagues addresses the effectiveness of an Italian selective intervention using Virtual Reality carried out in classes of adolescents at risk of bullying. The third presentation, proposed by Sánchez-Jiménez and colleagues aims to prevent sexual harassment in Spanish adolescents using VR scenarios. Finally, the fourth presentation proposed by Menesini and colleagues evaluates a bullying prevention intervention using an online narrative game among Italian adolescents.
Presentations of the Symposium
Virtual Reality as a Tool for Understanding Psychopathic Traits and Behavioral Patterns in Children
Silvija Ručević1, Dino Krupić1, Sandra Brezetić1, Tijana Borovac2
1University of J. J. Strossmayer in Osijek, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2University of J. J. Strossmayer in Osijek, Faculty of Education, Cara Hadrijana
Children with conduct problems and psychopathic traits often exhibit reduced prosocial emotions, which can manifest as risk-taking and impulsivity. While traditional methods have explored these behaviors, realistic setups are scarce. Virtual Reality (VR) provides an innovative avenue for observing naturalistic behavior in controlled yet immersive conditions.
This study analyzed data from 175 children, with an average age of 10.29 years (SD = 1.89), from the longitudinal ECLAT project. Based on a 0.5 standard deviation threshold, participants were categorized into three groups: those with high conduct problems but low psychopathic traits (CP-only, n = 24), high psychopathic traits with low conduct issues (PP-only, n = 19), and those exhibiting elevated levels of both (CPPP, n = 33).
In the VR task, children participated in a simulated play scenario with a stick-figure dog, where they were instructed to throw a ball or stick for the dog near a cliff. The dog played close to the edge, creating a subtle context of risk. Researchers observed the children's interactions, focusing on how they navigated the situation and whether they demonstrated risk-taking or prosocial behaviors.
The findings indicated that children in the CP-only and CPPP groups were more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as throwing objects over the cliff, jeopardizing the virtual dog’s safety. These actions reflected heightened impulsivity and a lack of emotional restraint. Conversely, the PP-only group displayed more calculated behavior, showing greater self-regulation and restraint in their decisions.
This research highlights the effectiveness of VR as a tool to study nuanced psychological and behavioral traits. By offering a dynamic and ecologically valid environment, VR enables researchers to uncover patterns that inform interventions targeting conduct problems and psychopathic traits in childhood. Early identification of these behaviors through VR could also aid in developing preventative strategies to mitigate long-term adverse outcomes.
TArgeting Bullying behaviors using Virtual Reality (TAB-VR): an Italian selective intervention
Lisa De Luca, Ersilia Menesini, ANNALAURA NOCENTINI
Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literature and Psychology, University of Florence
Universal bullying prevention has been primarily framed within a contextual approach that aims to increase the motivation of bystanders to intervene in bullying situations. However, changing the context without focusing on the individual is a limiting approach that neglects the complex interplay between individual and contextual factors. A multifaceted approach that integrates universal prevention for all students with more intensive levels for individual challenges is recommended.
The TAB-VR project is a selective intervention using Virtual Reality carried out on at-risk classes. The intervention consists of three phases: 1) intervention with the whole class; 2) individual VR sessions; 3) intervention with the whole class. The VR session includes two different scenarios that allow the students to take the perspective of victim and bystander to promote antibullying attitudes, empathy and perspective taking, coping strategies for defending, and assertive skills.
The project is still ongoing and has so far involved one Italian secondary school. 98 adolescents (25.8% female; Mage=14.37; SD=.73) were included in the experimental classes and they participated in two data collections (pre and post intervention). Behavioral outcomes will be collected at the end of the school year.
The results show a significant change between pre- and post-intervention for moral disengagement (F(1,90)= 5.148; p=.026), self-efficacy to resist peer pressure (F(1,90)=8.193; p=.005) negative affect (F(1,90)=5.369; p=.023). Specifically, there was a decrease in moral disengagement (T0: M=2.26; SD=.56; T1: M=2.16, SD=.53), an increase in self-efficacy peer pressure (T0: M=3.09; SD=.69; T1: M=3.26, SD=.67), and a decrease in negative affect (T0: M=3.05; SD=1.36; T1: M=2.83, SD=1.44). In contrast, the data show stability for empathy and perspective-taking, problem-solving, and interpersonal goals.
Selective intervention with VR appears to increase peer pressure self-efficacy and decrease moral disengagement, influencing bystander behavior. Besides, emotion regulation is affected by VR intervention, improving skills to manage reactions to bullying episodes.
GoByst!-VR for preventing adolescent sexual harassment: Key findings from the second edition
Virginia Sánchez-Jiménez, Mª Luisa Rodríguez de Arriba, Estrella Durán Guerrero, Javier Ortega-Rivera
Universidad de Sevilla, España
Although sexual harassment is one of the most frequent aggressive behaviours during adolescence, educational prevention programs remain scarce. Recent meta-analyses indicate that interventions based on the bystander model yield the most positive results in this population, as do interventions incorporating innovative resources such as Virtual Reality. The Go-Byst!-VR program is based on these premises. It is a brief bystander-based intervention model that incorporates VR, aiming to foster recognition and awareness toward sexual harassment and to develop bystanders' active strategies to intervene. To achieve this, the program includes an interactive VR scenario, placing adolescents as bystanders in a harassment situation.
This study presents the findings of the second edition of the program. A total of 422 adolescents participated (41.9% girls, Mean age = 14.9 (SD = 1.17), with 277 participants in the experimental group). All participants completed a pre-test and follow-up assessment four months after the intervention.
The analyses showed that the program reduced verbal/visual aggression (F(1,378) = 6.954; p = .009) and victimisation (F(1,378) = 5.974; p = .015), online aggression (F(1,376) = 8.225; p = .004), and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content of third parties (F(1,375) = 5.755; p = .017). It also reduced moral disengagement (F(1,374) = 5.074; p = .025), especially among boys, and anger dysregulation (F(1,378) = 28.836; p = .0040). Regarding the intention to intervene, significant changes were observed only among boys, who increased their intention to stop the aggressor (F(1,360) = 6.655; p = .010). No changes were observed in self-competence and empathy.
The findings confirm the results of previous editions, showing new evidence that the Go-Byst!-VR program is an effective resource for preventing sexual harassment among adolescents.
What Do Adolescents Think? Insights from a Thematic Analysis of (Cyber)Bullying Narratives
Elena Serritella, Irene Traversi, Andrea Guazzini, Ersilia Menesini
University of Florence
Bullying and cyberbullying are critical global issues rooted in shared social norms and reflected in dominant group narratives. The Counternarratives Approach is an emerging technique for social change that promotes the creation of new shared narratives that are more complex and consistent with multiple points of view.
This study, which is part of a bullying and cyberbullying prevention project, explores the dominant narratives and counter-narratives expressed by 150 Italian adolescents (aged 11-15), from 5 schools in the Florentine area, recruited for the Experimental Group in the context of a randomized controlled trial for an online prevention narrative game (i.e., Narrative Heroes). The game allowed teams of 4 anonymous members to respond to a series of “stimulus sentences” (the dominant narratives underlying peer violence) and engage in team discussions in a completely anonymous online context. For instance, students were asked to challenge statements such as “(Cyber)Bullying isn’t a big deal”.At the end of the game, participants were asked to express the most effective strategies for addressing (cyber)bullying issues in their opinion. Their responses and interactions were analysed using Inductive Thematic Analysis.
The analysis revealed two macro themes - Master Narratives and Counter-narratives - capturing agreement, disagreement, and the motivations underlying their positions. Additional themes emerged regarding Social and Personal strategies for combating bullying and cyberbullying within school contexts.
The findings of this study shed new light on young adolescents' perceptions of bullying and cyberbullying, issues they face daily and feel are not always adequately addressed and understood. Moreover, this study provides actionable insights and best practices for promoting positive narratives. It paves the way for the construction of prevention interventions tailored to the needs and perspectives of the target group, as they are directly suggested by those involved in the issue.
