{"id":2323,"date":"2023-03-14T13:14:01","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T13:14:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=2323"},"modified":"2023-03-14T13:14:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T13:14:01","slug":"curbing-crime-with-3d-avatars-and-intelligent-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2323\/curbing-crime-with-3d-avatars-and-intelligent-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Curbing crime with 3D avatars and intelligent design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reducing everyday offences may depend on harnessing the power of virtual reality, conscious design and community spirit.<\/p>\n

By Alex Whiting<\/p>\n

Picture a young offender with a headset immersed in a virtual room, coming face to face with an avatar of his or her future self.<\/p>\n

The person tells the avatar about his or her lifestyle, substance abuse, debts or time hanging out with delinquent friends. Then the person travels forward through a 3D representation to become a future self and give the younger one advice.<\/p>\n

Facing the future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Enabling people to speak to their future selves and ask for advice could help them make better choices today, some scientists say.<\/p>\n

\u2018If people care more about their future selves, we think they will be less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour in the present,\u2019 said Jean-Louis van Gelder, a professor of criminology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He is also director at Germany\u2019s Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law.<\/p>\n

Van Gelder and other researchers in the EU are taking inspiration from the world of gaming to help bring home to young offenders the longer-term consequences of their choices. Although the technology is still being tested, the early signs are that these 3D virtual representations could help change behaviour for the better.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of many crime-prevention techniques being developed across Europe.<\/p>\n

People who live in a day-to-day survival mode are more likely to commit crime or to abuse drugs and alcohol. That\u2019s because these types of behaviour deliver immediate, albeit small, benefits. The severe costs \u2013 including prison \u2013 are often in the distant future.<\/p>\n

Such short-term mindsets can result from harsh or unpredictable parenting and exposure to delinquent friends or poor role models, according to Van Gelder.<\/p>\n

Short-sightedness and impulsivity are often believed to become relatively fixed in children by the age of 10 years, and it is hard to change. But what scientists are beginning to discover is that it can in fact be worked on, opening up the potential to help people stop committing crimes.<\/p>\n

Do-it-yourself advice<\/strong><\/p>\n

He tested the virtual-reality technology with 24 young offenders as part of an EU-funded research project called CRIMETIME<\/a>, which runs through March 2024.<\/p>\n

\u2018The interesting thing is that people give themselves very sound advice generally,\u2019\u00a0said Van Gelder, who coordinates the six-year project supported through the European Research Council. \u2018People tend to tell themselves to stop committing crime or to be more disciplined or to look for a job.\u2019<\/p>\n

Participants were asked about their behaviour and attitudes in the week before and after the session. The majority reported less harmful or criminal behaviour and greater awareness of their future selves after the session.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s extremely difficult to change people\u2019s behaviour, according to van Gelder.<\/p>\n

\u2018The changes were not large, but we saw a reduction, which tells us that we’re on the right track,\u2019 he said. \u2018So our hope is that getting advice from themselves will be more convincing than getting advice from other people.\u2019<\/p>\n

The next step is to develop a mobile phone app that will give them a similar experience and could be used every day for several weeks.<\/p>\n

\u2018The more they do the exercise, the more vivid their future self becomes,\u2019 said Van Gelder.<\/p>\n

And the more connected they feel with their future selves, the more marked the impact on behaviour.<\/p>\n

Design deterrents<\/strong><\/p>\n

An EU-funded project called Cutting Crime Impact<\/a> (CCI), which ran for three years until end-2021, focused on more practical ways of preventing crime. These include making buildings, benches, bags and the like harder to target.<\/p>\n

\u2018You can actually design out crime,\u2019 said Professor Caroline Davey, director of the Design Against Crime Solution Centre at the University of Salford in Britain.<\/p>\n

She coordinated CCI, which covered seven European countries: Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK.<\/p>\n

Since the 1990s, theft from homes and cars has fallen with the design of more secure doors, windows and burglar alarms.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re always trying to encourage designers to think about the risks associated with their particular products,\u2019 said Davey. \u2018It\u2019s not rocket science\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s fairly easy to predict what will be attractive to potential offenders.\u2019<\/p>\n

For example, the back of a bench that has gaps large enough to put two fingers through to reach someone\u2019s pocket or bag will encourage pickpockets. By contrast, designing buildings so that neighbours overlook each other deters burglaries.<\/p>\n

Researchers have worked with Britain\u2019s Greater Manchester Police to develop a service to advise architects, urban planners and property developers on crime prevention.<\/p>\n

\u2018They highlight the risks in a particular area and advise them on how they can reduce those risks,\u2019 said Davey.<\/p>\n

Police tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

Similar approaches were crafted under CCI with law-enforcement agencies in most of the participating countries.<\/p>\n

Police in Estonia\u2019s capital Tallinn took part. They report that crime has plummeted in Tondiraba Park \u2013 a large public space in the city \u2013 since it was revamped in cooperation with the police.<\/p>\n

Kelly Miido, senior superintendent in charge of community policing in Tallinn\u2019s Mustam\u00e4e-Kristiine district, said she and her colleagues had to work hard to get local authorities and urban planners to think about potential security risks in their designs and ways to remove them.<\/p>\n

\u2018We had to constantly remind planners that we wanted to be part of the process,\u2019 Miido said.<\/p>\n

Now, however, planners and local authorities approach her team to ask for design help.<\/p>\n

\u2018They have found that, if they involve us, they have fewer problems in the long run,\u2019 Miido said.<\/p>\n

Before the redesign, the local police had to send a patrol every day to the park during the summer. Now they are called out two or three times a week.<\/p>\n

Local knowledge<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of CCI\u2019s most important results is a handover process for when community police officers are redeployed,\u00a0according to Davey, who coordinated the project.<\/p>\n

Such patrollers, who walk the streets and get to know locals, play an important role in preventing crime. Because people can talk to them informally, these officers learn a lot about neighbourhood concerns and troubles, including in relation to social vulnerability and radicalisation.<\/p>\n

\u2018Community policing is so important, but is often undermined by lack of funding and appreciation for what these officers do,\u2019 said Davey.<\/p>\n

That is reflected in the way that officers can be redeployed with no handover process. Relationships built up over years with a community can be lost overnight.<\/p>\n

\u2018The community aren\u2019t told about the change and often organisations the police officer works with \u2013 like social services and schools \u2013 don\u2019t know,\u2019 said Davey. \u2018This can have a significant impact on people\u2019s trust in policing and, ultimately, their quality of life.\u2019<\/p>\n

A handover system addresses the matter with relative ease and at low cost. It involves the redeployed officer and his or her replacement walking the area together and meeting key people.<\/p>\n

\u2018It captures something very human and important, which is the relationships that exist between community police officers, local people and local organisations,\u2019 said Davey.<\/p>\n

The article was originally published\u202fin <\/em>Horizon<\/em><\/a>, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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By Gareth Willmer In September 2025, a stage performance with a difference took place at Porto\u2019s Coliseum theatre in northern Portugal. In\u00a0Re-embodied Machine, a dancer wearing motion sensors interacted with lights and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "ICT"","block_context":{"text":"ICT","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/ict\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Virtual reality and AI bring fresh possibilities to the performing arts. Instituto Stocos at Teatro Museo de Navarra. 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AI and virtual reality team up to bring the party to you","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 27, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Staying home to dance the night away may soon be the next big thing. EU-funded researchers are using AI to create an online dancefloor for the whole world to share. By Tom Cassauwers The festive season can be a lonely time for many, and too much time spent online can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Science in Society"","block_context":{"text":"Science in Society","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/science-in-society\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Connecting online through dancing could help relieve loneliness and improve health. \u00a9 Creativa Images, Shutterstock.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/27.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/27.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/27.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/27.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/27.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/12\/27.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2034,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2034\/qa-people-have-to-be-at-the-centre-of-the-energy-transformation\/","url_meta":{"origin":2323,"position":3},"title":"Q&A: ‘People have to be at the centre of the energy transformation’","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"May 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In June 2021, the EU's Group of chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) published the Scientific Opinion entitled \"A systemic approach to the energy transition in Europe\", arguing that the clean energy transition in the European Green Deal must keep people at its centre. In light of tomorrow's RePowerEU announcement that is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/may-7.1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/may-7.1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/may-7.1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/may-7.1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/may-7.1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":125,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/125\/gig-economy-necessitates-a-new-charter-of-labour-rights-expert\/","url_meta":{"origin":2323,"position":4},"title":"Gig economy necessitates a new charter of labour rights \u2013 expert","author":"Joanna Roberts","date":"February 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"We need a new bill of rights to absorb the changes brought about by the gig economy, or using apps and websites to arrange casual jobs, which are now spreading to other areas of work, according to an international labour expert speaking at a conference on the future of work.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life & Non-Humans"","block_context":{"text":"Life & Non-Humans","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/life-non-humans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Depending on the country, between 12% and 20% of workers have some experience of working via gig economy platforms, according to Prof. Ursula Huws.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/36928569544_4fa78ede2a_k.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/36928569544_4fa78ede2a_k.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/36928569544_4fa78ede2a_k.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/36928569544_4fa78ede2a_k.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/36928569544_4fa78ede2a_k.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/36928569544_4fa78ede2a_k.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":201,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/201\/digital-innovation-can-enhance-cultural-heritage-hears-conference\/","url_meta":{"origin":2323,"position":5},"title":"Digital innovation can enhance cultural heritage, hears conference \u00a0","author":"Catherine Collins","date":"March 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Digitalisation has a role to play in the conservation and promotion of modern-day cultural heritage but should enhance real-life experiences, rather than replace them, experts say. The Innovation and Cultural Heritage conference, held in Brussels on 20 March 2018, brought together a diverse range of researchers from the fields of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Social Sciences"","block_context":{"text":"Social Sciences","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/social-sciences\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Holy Aedicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was restored with the help of a high-resolution 3D model.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/03\/Sepulchre.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/03\/Sepulchre.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/03\/Sepulchre.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/03\/Sepulchre.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/03\/Sepulchre.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/03\/Sepulchre.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}