A new technology is being developed to prevent exploitation of children by gangs in UK. This is a result of a more than successful pilot done by Children and Family Court Advisory Service (CAFCASS) in which they worked with social workers to achieve better understanding on negative effects of neglect on a child. As part of the project virtual reality was used to enable social workers to experience directly the effects of abuse and neglect from the perspective of children. This revolutionary approach has proven to be much more effective than any educations and trainings implemented before. Virtual technology found its use by more than 30 local authorities and organizations working with child protection professionals helping them understand the needs of children. Soon, it will also be used to prevent gangs from exploiting children.
The results of the programme are remarkable. According to the article “ninety per cent of social workers who used it said they would do something differently as a result, 88 per cent of district judges agreed and so did 91 per cent of teachers. The immerse VR experience has a proven track record of increasing empathy and producing better outcomes for children in care”.