Does a virtual courtroom elicit distress among victims of sexual assault?

Abstract

Victims of sexual assault (SA) can endure physical and psychological pain and problems that can sometimes be hard to treat due to the nature of the harm caused to them. Victims' experiences of the legal system are more often negative resulting in high anxiety, poor performance and even retraumatization. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has been shown to be effective in treating anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and frequently elicits negative and physical responses in the beginning of treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a virtual courtroom would elicit emotional and perceived physical reactions in women who have been sexually assaulted but who have not gone through the legal system, and also how realistic the virtual courtroom was perceived. A secondary aim was to examine if the experience of these women of the virtual courtroom would be comparable to the experience of women who have endured a real courtroom. The main results demonstrated that the virtual courtroom elicited increases in emotional and perceived physical distress and that the participants experienced the virtual environment as highly realistic. In general the virtual courtroom elicited similar emotional and perceived physical distress as it did among women who had gone through the legal system.These findings imply that the virtual courtroom might be a feasible option as an intervention for victims of sexual assault who are contemplating or preparing for testifying in a real courtroom. VRET intervention could decrease the negative psychological impact of the real courtroom and thus help victims with recall and discussion of the sexual abuse. Keywords: sexual assault, subjective distress, virtual reality exposure therapy, presence, virtual courtroom