Virtual offender: a pilot project on nurturing social work students’ capacity to work with offenders

Chi Mei Jessica Li, Xinshan Jia

Research output: Unpublished conference presentation (presented paper, abstract, poster)Conference presentation (not published in journal/proceeding/book)Academic researchpeer-review

Abstract

Background. Though the needs of juveniles who committed minor offences have been taken care of by social workers in Hong Kong, the effectiveness of intervention programs on juvenile stealing behaviour has yet to receive consistent empirical support. The literature on theft crimes among juveniles remains scant. This study proposes used virtual reality (VR) technology as a tool to provide arrested juveniles an immersive environment to experience the consequences/cost of reconviction in a less costly and safe manner. Objective. The proposed study applied the basic elements of neutralisation theory and crime script approach to develop a VR training program aimed at preventing juvenile thefts. Method. Using randomized controlled trial (RCT), 60 juveniles aged 10-18 with arrest records of theft-related and violent offences were randomly and evenly assigned into either an experimental (EXP) or a control (CONT) group. Members of the EXP group received a one-session VR intervention detailing the criminal justice process while members of the CONT group attended one session of discussion on criminal justice process. Both groups were offered individual counselling and family visits by social workers as usual. Four waves of assessment on three repeated outcome indicators, recidivism, juvenile delinquency and the use of neutralization techniques, will be conducted at before the intervention (baseline test, T1), after the intervention (post-test, T3), and two follow-up tests with a 2-month interval (T3 and T4). Significance. The project can generate information for policymakers and social service workers to effectively strengthen crime prevention among adolescents using the techniques of VR. The study can be replicated to juveniles with convictions of other offences.
Original languageEnglish
Pages1
Number of pages1
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2021
EventJoint World Conference on Social Work Education and Social Development
(SWESD 2020)
- Online
Duration: 1 Mar 2021 → …

Conference

ConferenceJoint World Conference on Social Work Education and Social Development
(SWESD 2020)
Period1/03/21 → …

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