Previous Article
News
Out now paper on Virtual Reality for rehabilitation of intimate partner violence perpetrators
Virtual Realityirtual reality (VR) allows the user to be immersed in environments in which they can experience situations and social interactions from different perspectives by means of virtual embodiment. In the context of rehabilitation of violent behaviors, a participant could experience a virtual violent confrontation from different perspectives, including that of the victim and bystanders. This approach and other virtual scenes can be used as a useful tool for the rehabilitation of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators, through improvement of their empathic skills or for training in non-violent responses. In this perspective, we revise and discuss the use of this tool in a prison environment for the rehabilitation of IPV perpetrators with a particular focus on practical aspects based on our experience.
This paper is written by Nicolas Barnes, Maria V. Sanchez-Vives and Tania Johnston.
Focus of the paper
In this article, they draw on their experience investigating the use of immersive VR in different prisons and rehabilitation settings, to highlight the usability of such a tool for managing risk factors in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators, and to consider how to best integrate immersive VR sessions into their traditional treatment programs. They mainly focus on practical considerations, directly derived from their experience, and the opportunities and challenges of importing this powerful tool into prisons. Some of this research has been carried out in the context of the European research project: VR per Genere (Virtual Reality Prevention of Gender Violence in Europe based on Neuroscience of Embodiment, PeRspective, and Empathy; www.vrpergenere.com), which aims to use the advantages of VR for the prevention of IPV and for the rehabilitation of perpetrators through the improvement of classic rehabilitation strategies outlined previously. As will be developed below, our work proposes VR as a promising method for improving empathy and reducing specific risk factors for perpetration in offenders (Seinfeld et al., 2018; Barnes, 2020; Johnston, 2021) and as a means for individualizing treatment to participants’ specific needs in a cost-effective manner, through the presentation of different scenarios. The VR per Genere project also deals with using VR tools for the prevention of gender violent behaviors targeting younger populations.
The current paper will group practical considerations into three themes: (1) considerations related to the individual differences between offenders; (2) considerations related to the factors that may affect the response of the offenders when talking about their VR experience; and (3) considerations related to the prison environment in which immersive VR is applied. This specific segmentation is operational, but these three themes are highly interrelated.
Read the paper (more about this paper)
Want to read more research on Domestic Violence, click here to go to our Knowledgebase
Related News
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.
Reading corner
Probation in Europe
New Release: Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance
13/11/2025
This book, Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance, has been released by Routledge. It is a practice-oriented resource exploring how forensic social work can support desistance and foster meaningful change in the lives of justice-involved individuals.
New
Probation in Europe
New Vodcast Episode: Stephan Leißner on Event-Based Group Work in Probation
13/11/2025
The 16th episode of Division_Y features Stephan Leißner, a public probation and parole officer at the Coburg Regional Court in Bavaria, Germany.
Recap
Probation in Europe, Projects
CoPPer Project Final Conference: A Celebration of Collaboration, Impact and Inspiration
10/11/2025
On 6 November 2025, the CoPPer Final Project Conference took place at Het Nutshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands, marking a milestone in European cooperation and innovation in the field of probation. The event brought together 66 participants representing jurisdictions from Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands, Romania, Estonia, as well as Türkiye and Japan. A clear sign of the growing international interest in the CoPPer project and its outcomes.
Recap
Probation outside Europe
CEP at the 27th ICPA Conference in Istanbul
05/11/2025
CEP SG Jana Spero Kamenjarin attended the 27th International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Conference, held in Istanbul, Türkiye. The conference brought together professionals, researchers, and policy experts from around the world to share insights and best practices. There were approximately 700 participants and the conference program consisted of 151 presentations.
New
Others
New DG JUSTICE Newsletter on funding opportunities & funded projects is out.
03/11/2025
The latest edition of the DG JUSTICE Newsletter is now out, packed with funding opportunities and funded projects!
New
Uncategorized
Newsletter October 2025 out now
30/10/2025
CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! Articles on the CEP conference: Public Perception of Probation, Expert Network Meeting on Education and Training, CEP Calls for EM expert group, CEP awards and more.>> Read here
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.