BODYSWAPS, in partnership with The Humanitarian Leadership Academy and a number of leading NGOs, have developed the Safeguarding VR experience to explore behavioural change in identifying and reporting safeguarding, cost-efficiently and at scale.
It builds on existing research to leverage embodied VR scenarios as a way to elicit empathy and self-awareness in order to affect real-life behaviour. The VR experience allows the trainee to practice having a conversation with a survivor of a safeguarding incident, in this case a real-time 3D Virtual Human for which the voice, facial expression and body motion of a performer have been captured.
The purpose of this experience is to transform safeguarding-related behavior among aid workers and volunteers. More specifically, conversations with survivors of exploitation and abuse can be challenging. But short of classroom-based trainings and roleplays, there is currently no way for NGO staff to practice those conversations in a safe space. The VR experience come as a practical complement to a self-guided e-learning course which covers the essentials of safeguarding. In the experience, AI is used to manufacture a conversation mechanic that feels natural as well as to provide personalised feedback and recommendations on users’ intervention.