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Academic wins top crime prevention award
University of the Sunshine Coast academic Dr Christian Jones has today won a Queensland Police Service gold award for crime prevention.
Dr Jones, a Senior Lecturer in Interactive Digital Media, was part of a joint University and QPS partnership that created an online computer game to help children avoid abduction.
The Being Safety Smart game is currently being trialled in nine Sunshine Coast schools to assess its effectiveness in boosting the personal safety knowledge of children aged 6-8.
The concept for the game came from local Sunshine Coast police officers in response to the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe, 13, at Palmwoods in December 2003.
The QPS funded the Being Safety Smart project, which also has strong support from the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Education Queensland.
Dr Jones spent more than two years creating the animated game that is based on international best practice for child safety awareness.
He relied on the expertise of USC Psychology lecturer Kay Pozzebon in developing age-appropriate messages that are appealing and engaging for both boys and girls.
“This is the first time that these messages have been presented in a games-based educational environment,” he said.
Dr Jones said an official statewide launch of the program was planned for later this year.
— Terry Walsh