Virtual Reality Intervention (VR-GINSO) for Reducing Aggression in Young Offenders

ConditionAggression
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age12-18
SponsorUniversidad Francisco de Vitoria

About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to see if a specific intervention program that uses virtual reality (VR) helps young people reduce aggressive behavior more than the same program without VR or their usual treatment. The study will also look at how the program affects anger, impulsivity, emotional control, and how participants understand and handle conflicts with others.

The main questions the study wants to answer are:

* Does the intervention program with VR help young people reduce aggressive behavior more than the same program without VR or just their usual treatment? * What changes in the mind and body are linked to improvements in aggressive behavior and emotional control?

The researchers will compare three groups of young people:

* Usual treatment plus the 4-session intervention program with VR. * Usual treatment plus the 4-session intervention program without VR. * Usual treatment only.

Participants will:

* Attend 4 individual sessions lasting 1 to 1.5 hours, once a week. * Take part in activities to learn how to recognize emotions, understand conflict situations, and manage anger and impulsivity. * Complete questionnaires about aggressive behavior, anger, impulsivity, emotional control, and how they interpret conflicts. * Have their aggressive behavior recorded through disciplinary reports at the center. * Provide saliva samples before and after sessions to measure hormones related to stress and aggression. * Wear a chest band that measures heart rate and a headset that records brain activity during the VR activities.

All data will be kept confidential, and the identities of participants will be protected at all times.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

12-18 years old at the moment of recruitment and allocation.

Minimum facility stay of 6 months since the begining of the study.

Documented records of recent aggresive behavior.

Disqualifiers

Neurological disorder, brain injury, or psyquiatric pathology that affects cognitive functions or advises against use of virtual reality.

Not being fluent in Spanish.

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Virtual Reality
  • Active Control
  • Treatment as usual

Treatment groups

110 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groups

Sponsors and collaborators

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

Lead sponsor

Asociación GINSO

Collaborator

La Caixa Foundation

Collaborator