In the heat of the moment: a virtual reality assessment of aggression-related factors to identify the treatment needs of incarcerated boys

This study adopts a strengths-based approach to identify the treatment needs of incarcerated boys (N = 84, aged 16–23 years). An accurate identification of these needs is crucial to support a positive development toward desisting from crime. Therefore, we simulated aggression-evoking situations in Virtual Reality (VR) to examine boys’ aggressive social information processing (SIP), self-control, anger, and reactive aggression as they may appear in real (delict) situations. This novel VR approach allowed us to assess on which areas these adolescents need support to develop adaptive response patterns in aggression-evoking situations. We first established the concurrent validity of the VR-assessment. Path analyses then revealed that reactive aggressive SIP, self-control, and anger were directly or indirectly related to aggression, depending on the situation. This study highlights the additional value of VR in identifying treatment needs to reduce aggression in incarcerated boys. Future research should replicate these findings and explore how VR-assessments can inform more tailored interventions.