VR to help teens make the right call on gangs and knife crime

Published: 21 December 2023

Derby City Council is investing in innovative new technologies to give teenagers a unique perspective on knife crime and gangs.

A set of 16 Virtual Reality (VR) headsets have been funded by the Home Office’s Safer Streets 4 programme, and will be used in schools, after-school clubs, community settings and voluntary organisations.

The headsets immerse the viewers in one of two scenarios, related either to the issues caused by carrying a knife, or by getting involved in a gang, and gives them the chance to make decisions about what should happen next.

There are potentially 3,000 different ways the scenarios could play out, showing that every action has a consequence.

Both Virtual_Decisions videos were devised and created by Round Midnight, a Birmingham-based company which began as a Theatre In Education company but pivoted into this work during lockdown.

Virtual_Decisions: GANGS explores gang culture, criminal exploitation and anti-social behaviour, and has been delivered to over 2,500 young people across the UK. This success led to Virtual_Decisions: KNIVES, which features actors aged 13-18 to give added authenticity.

Both sessions are accompanied by a creative arts workshop to explore the issues in more depth. The programme is now being rolled out to secondary schools in Derby for use in building resilience with students.

These VR workshops have been used around the country, with delivery led by the Police. This would be one of the first projects led by a local authority, in partnership with the Police.

Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, Cabinet Member for Communities and Streetpride, said:

When this administration took over in May, we were clear in our aim to reduce violence in the city. It’s vital we do all we can to keep young people safe in the city and empower them to make the best decisions.

I’m delighted that we’ve been able to partner with Round Midnight to provide this unique, immersive learning experience. I look forward to seeing used in schools around the city.

Claire Downes, CEO of Round Midnight, added:

All actions have consequences. And we understand that in the heat of the moment, making a difficult decision is not straight forward. We’ve made it easy for young people to explore all the outcomes with the guidance of the delivery team in Derby, so that if those situations occur in the real world, the young people will be informed enough to make the right choice.

We’re very proud to have Virtual_Decisions being utilised across Derby, it’s a testament to the organisations in partnership that these preventative steps are being taken to benefit everyone within the community.

Since 2020, Derby City Council has been awarded a total of £1.7 million from the Safer Street’s Fund, to invest in initiatives which target neighbourhood crime, violence against women and girls, and anti-social behaviour, improving the safety of public spaces for all.

The official trailer for Virtual_Decisions: KNIVES can be viewed below.

Young people