It’s sad that sexual harassment exists. You’d think the concept of no is easy to understand, but the sad reality is that not all people understand that no means no.
This is why lessons in learning how to respond to sexual harassment are essential in today’s society.

On 18 January 2020, NTU student initiative, Girl, Talk held an event with the use of virtual reality (VR) to teach fellow females on how to respond if they were to experience sexual harassment.
The student initiative used VR technology to allow participants to practice how they would react to a sexual harassment situation through the re-enactment of verbal harassment on campus. This experience stimulates the participant’s emotions and reactions without compromising on their safety.

I must say, this is a very innovative way to utilise technology for the better. Even though it’s for preventive measures for rather uncomfortable and scary situations.
The simulation was designed by Girl, Talk themselves, basing it off similar real-life experiences from survivors who had gone through harassment on campus. Participants would experience these scenarios as either a survivor or a bystander. These VR simulations would be similar to real-life role-play methods that have been used traditionally for sexual harassment prevention training in the workplace. Local VR company HiverLab supported in the development of the prototype.

Here’s to hoping that VR will be adopted in a more mainstream manner when it comes to sexual harassment prevention training.
Girl, Talk Singapore | Facebook |
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