'Big Buddy' could help prevent virtual bullying
Published: 30 June 2023
Researchers from the School of Computing Science collaborated with parents and their children to gauge their reactions to ‘Big Buddy’, a prototype virtual moderator for online social spaces in virtual reality developed by the team. During the study, Big Buddy helped parents stay informed about their children’s experiences in virtual spaces, and helped children feel safe and more secure by reacting to misbehaviour with punishments similar to those meted out by teachers in real-life classrooms.