A FILMMAKER has launched a Virtual Reality (VR) film to raise awareness of the impact of mental abuse and coercive control on victims.
Lucy Baxter, director of domestic abuse charity Mental Abuse Matters and a Film Practice lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast is using Mental Abuse Matters as her PhD subject.
The film shows the hard-hitting and traumatic impact of mental abuse on the victim, through an immersive film experience.
The pioneering VR film, which depicts a woman who is being mentally abused by her partner, will be used for training those who come into contact with abuse victims, to enable greater understanding of the victim’s experience.
It is hoped that the film will help raise greater awareness of the impact of mental abuse and coercive control and can be used by those working in health and social care and the criminal justice systems.
Director of Mental Abuse Matters, Lucy Baxter said: “Mental abuse and coercive control are lesser known but very real forms of domestic abuse. The abuse can gradually wear down a person’s sense of independence and they may become accustomed to an atmosphere of dread and trepidation, always living in fear that they might unintentionally aggravate an abusive partner. It happens to people of all genders and backgrounds.
“The difficulty with mental abuse is that no one outside the relationship can see the damage that it is causing, because there are no physical signs like bruises or broken bones. The trauma for victims however is very real and terrifying.
“My aim is to encourage greater understanding and empathy for victims of mental abuse. Using Virtual Reality software, we can create an experience for the user that will allow them to place themselves in the shoes of the victim and get a sense of what they are feeling. This will give those who support abuse victims, first-hand knowledge of what it feels like to be in their position.”
Professor Paul Moore from Future Screens NI added: “Coercive control and mental abuse are not often discussed or understood by many people in society. Only in recent years have we become more aware of coercive control as a form of domestic abuse, and it is still hard for many to fully understand the impact on victims because they cannot see physical signs of its impact.
“Future Screens NI is thrilled to be able to fund innovative projects like the Mental Abuse Matters Virtual Reality film because it shows how film-making can be used in the most innovative ways to educate people about the impact of issues that are challenging to articulate beyond direct experience.
“The ‘walking on eggshells’ analogy is said all too often, but this immersive film by Lucy allows us that first-hand experience of what that feels like to be a victim. We hope that by funding this important project, it becomes an important training tool in educating professionals about the very real and long-lasting damage that mental abuse causes.”
