A new virtual reality (VR) programme that is being rolled out across Warwickshire schools has already educated 215 young people in Nuneaton and Bedworth borough about the consequences of knife crime.
St Thomas More Catholic School and Sixth Form College in Nuneaton has been just one of the schools to take part in the Virtual Decisions knife crime sessions, which are helping young people to explore the dangers and potential consequences of “carrying” a knife without “telling” them what to do.
The sessions are delivered by Warwickshire County Council’s Community Safety Team, Warwickshire Police, and the county’s Borough and District Councils.
They start with an introduction to knife crime, using the lived experiences of the instructors to capture the attention of the young people. Stephen Croshaw from WCC’s Community Safety team discusses his experiences in his former life as a Police Officer and the team’s Ben Hudson discusses being a victim of knife crime when he was a teenager.
The VR experience, which is led by the students and lasts around ten minutes, then goes on to explore the reasons why young people carry knives and the consequences of that.
Called ‘Virtual Decisions: KNIVES’, it puts the participants in the position of a young person making a series of decisions which will result in them either being arrested for possession of a blade, or not. Similar to an adventure novel, there are many branching paths and different outcomes depending on their choices.
The VR experience is followed by a workshop where some of the themes are unpacked and the outcomes that the young people received are discussed.
Topics explored include peer pressure, social media, joint enterprise, loyalty and 'snitching', the law around carrying a knife, some of the reasons someone may choose to carry one, consequences and repercussions, community impact and empathy for others.
The new programme has been made possible by Serious Violence Duty funding allocated from the Home Office and is supported by members of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board including Warwickshire’s five borough and district councils, Warwickshire County Council and The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire.
The material has been co-produced with the Psychology Department at the University of Birmingham to ensure that the content is safe for young people and doesn’t glamorise knife crime, with no footage of knives or violence featured in the VR experience.
One parent of a Year 9 pupil who took part at St Thomas More Catholic School said: “My youngest daughter loved the experience and found it invaluable.”
As a child-friendly county, Warwickshire is dedicated to providing safe, secure, and stable lives for our children.
Councillor Andy Crump, Chair of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board and Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder of Community Safety, said:
“This is another example of Home Office funding being used in Warwickshire to address serious crime issues like knife crime and to work with our communities – in this case, our schools and young people – to try and prevent crime, for the benefit of all.
“It’s fantastic to see Nuneaton and Bedworth leading the way with their schools taking part in these innovative sessions, and I look forward to witnessing its continued rollout across the county.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire, Phillip Seccombe, said:
“It’s so important to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime and the serious implications of carrying a knife.
“I hope through this work that we may prevent young people from making a life changing decision that puts both themselves and others in danger, and hopefully help to end this type of serious violence.
“I look forward to seeing the positive impact this programme will make and I will continue to support projects that help to prevent and divert crime in Warwickshire.”
With over 200 young people already taking part in Nuneaton and Bedworth and sessions delivered in Rugby as part of the summer’s #KnifeFreeRugby campaign, sessions have also been organised for schools in Warwick and Stratford and more will continue to be delivered over the coming months.
The ‘Virtual Decisions: KNIVES’ sessions are completely free for schools and youth groups across Warwickshire. Schools in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area can contact Alex Pap, Senior Community Safety Officer for Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, email Alexandra.Pap@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk
If you are from a school, youth organisation and or club in the rest of Warwickshire, please get in touch with Alyssa Davies, Community Safety Officer for Warwickshire, email alyssa.davies@stratford-dc.gov.uk to find out more.
