Connected Communities: Using Virtual Reality Technology to Encourage Reflection, Empathy and Prevention-Focussed Action
Tracks
Ballroom 3: In-Person Only
| Wednesday, November 25, 2026 |
| 9:45 AM - 10:05 AM |
Overview
Abeerah Zaman, Cumberland Women's Health Centre
& Salwa Albazkaushal
& Salwa Albazkaushal
Three Key Learnings
1. The Virtual Reality piece from the Big Anxiety Centre, effectively enabled reflective engagement with victim survivors’ experiences, encouraging perspective and attitude shifts while motivating prevention-focused action against Domestic and Family Violence.
2. Providing safe, non-judgmental and culturally specific spaces that respected participants’ autonomy enabled leaders to challenge cultural norms, reflect on previously held beliefs and consider community-based prevention action.
3. This affective-led prevention model demonstrated strong community engagement, with many leaders requesting further resources, advice and local connections, suggesting immersive and reflective approaches may strengthen prevention-focused DFV training.
Speaker
Ms Abeerah Zaman
Project Worker
Cumberland Women's Health Centre
Connected Communities: Using Virtual Reality Technology to Encourage Reflection, Empathy and Prevention-Focussed Action
Presentation Overview
Most Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) trainings are run on the same pattern of recognising violence and referral pathways. ‘Connected Communities’ was born out of a need to diversify this training, through an affective-led, community-based model combining survivor stories, critical reflection and culturally safe discussions to encourage prevention-focused action.
The Big Anxiety Research Centre (BARC) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) developed a Virtual Reality (VR) piece, with survivors of DFV. Without showing explicit violence, the VR depicted the implicit fear and entrapment the survivors faced at the hands of the perpetrator and the system designed to support them. Around this VR experience, CWHC designed a primary prevention workshop targeting religious and community leaders.
The workshop applied a two-part critical reflection approach. Participants first engaged in the VR experience and reflection facilitated by BARC, followed by a CWHC-led discussion exploring community attitudes that enable violence and strategies for prevention. In total, 5 workshops were delivered to 66 leaders from diverse cultural, religious and leadership backgrounds.
The VR proved effective in shifting attitudes, noticeably in male participants. One initially resistant participant described a shift in perception from questioning the victim to recognising the role of the perpetrator, reflecting on his earlier assumptions with a sense of guilt. Another key strength was respecting the workshop participants’ right to autonomy by creating culturally safe spaces. This enabled participants to reflect on and challenge resistant or controversial ideas within their own communities. Many leaders requested further training and demonstrated a willingness to pause, reflect, and unlearn previous ways of thinking.
This DFV training stood out from existing training structures by engaging participants with survivors lived experiences, encouraging critical self-reflection and fostering perspective shifts. The model is highly adaptable across differing populations and settings, with potential to strengthen community-based primary prevention approaches.
The Big Anxiety Research Centre (BARC) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) developed a Virtual Reality (VR) piece, with survivors of DFV. Without showing explicit violence, the VR depicted the implicit fear and entrapment the survivors faced at the hands of the perpetrator and the system designed to support them. Around this VR experience, CWHC designed a primary prevention workshop targeting religious and community leaders.
The workshop applied a two-part critical reflection approach. Participants first engaged in the VR experience and reflection facilitated by BARC, followed by a CWHC-led discussion exploring community attitudes that enable violence and strategies for prevention. In total, 5 workshops were delivered to 66 leaders from diverse cultural, religious and leadership backgrounds.
The VR proved effective in shifting attitudes, noticeably in male participants. One initially resistant participant described a shift in perception from questioning the victim to recognising the role of the perpetrator, reflecting on his earlier assumptions with a sense of guilt. Another key strength was respecting the workshop participants’ right to autonomy by creating culturally safe spaces. This enabled participants to reflect on and challenge resistant or controversial ideas within their own communities. Many leaders requested further training and demonstrated a willingness to pause, reflect, and unlearn previous ways of thinking.
This DFV training stood out from existing training structures by engaging participants with survivors lived experiences, encouraging critical self-reflection and fostering perspective shifts. The model is highly adaptable across differing populations and settings, with potential to strengthen community-based primary prevention approaches.
Biography
Abeerah Zaman is the Project Worker at Cumberland Women’s Health Centre working across community-based Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) prevention initiatives and community education programs. Their work includes delivering education to staff and community members, supporting projects that increase women’s independence and access to services, and developing respectful relationships initiatives for young children. They are particularly interested in innovative and community-led approaches that encourage reflection, increase awareness around violence and safety, and create meaningful, long-term change across diverse communities. They are passionate about person-centred work that prioritises genuine impact in people’s lives over success only measured on paper.
