Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education

Lubomir Ivanov; Anabel Nolasco; Mary Vrahimis

doi:10.63317/272u4yjfyuvn

Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education

Lubomir Ivanov, Anabel Nolasco, Mary Vrahimis

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Abstract

This paper described the use of eye-contact and facial expression tracking as part of a comprehensive approach to assertiveness training in a VR-based anti-bullying simulation environment. We briefly discuss the psychological foundations of assertiveness and then focus on our approach to tracking the facial expressions and eye-contact that a user maintains while communicating with the virtual bully in the simulation. We also outline additional non-verbal indicators tracked by the software and discuss the dialog system, which drives the simulation. Finally, we outline some ethical considerations, discuss the limitations of our current software prototype, and list future directions for enhancing assertiveness training in anti bullying education.

Anthology ID:: 2026.gaze4nlp-1.8
Volume:: Proceedings fo the Second International Workshop on Eye-Tracking Resources and Evaluation for Human-Aligned NLP
Month:: May
Year:: 2026
Address:: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Editors:: Cengiz Acartürk, Burcu Can, Jamal Nasir, Çağrı Çöltekin
Venues:: Gaze4NLP | WS
SIG:
Publisher:: ELDA
Note:
Pages:: 50–57
Language:
External URL:: https://lrec.elra.info/lrec2026-ws-gaze4nlp-08
DOI:: 10.63317/272u4yjfyuvn
Bibkey:
Cite (ACL):: Lubomir Ivanov, Anabel Nolasco, and Mary Vrahimis. 2026. Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education. In Proceedings fo the Second International Workshop on Eye-Tracking Resources and Evaluation for Human-Aligned NLP, pages 50–57, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. ELDA.
Cite (Informal):: Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education (Ivanov et al., Gaze4NLP 2026)
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@inproceedings{ivanov-etal-2026-eye,
    title = "Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in {VR}-Based Anti-Bullying Education",
    author = "Ivanov, Lubomir  and
      Nolasco, Anabel  and
      Vrahimis, Mary",
    editor = {Acart{\"u}rk, Cengiz  and
      Can, Burcu  and
      Nasir, Jamal  and
      {\c{C}}{\"o}ltekin, {\c{C}}a{\u{g}}r{\i}},
    booktitle = "Proceedings fo the Second International Workshop on Eye-Tracking Resources and Evaluation for Human-Aligned {NLP}",
    month = may,
    year = "2026",
    address = "Palma de Mallorca, Spain",
    publisher = "ELDA",
    url = "https://aclanthology.org/2026.gaze4nlp-1.8/",
    doi = "10.63317/272u4yjfyuvn",
    pages = "50--57",
    abstract = "This paper described the use of eye-contact and facial expression tracking as part of a comprehensive approach to assertiveness training in a VR-based anti-bullying simulation environment. We briefly discuss the psychological foundations of assertiveness and then focus on our approach to tracking the facial expressions and eye-contact that a user maintains while communicating with the virtual bully in the simulation. We also outline additional non-verbal indicators tracked by the software and discuss the dialog system, which drives the simulation. Finally, we outline some ethical considerations, discuss the limitations of our current software prototype, and list future directions for enhancing assertiveness training in anti bullying education."
}

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%0 Conference Proceedings
%T Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education
%A Ivanov, Lubomir
%A Nolasco, Anabel
%A Vrahimis, Mary
%Y Acartürk, Cengiz
%Y Can, Burcu
%Y Nasir, Jamal
%Y Çöltekin, Çağrı
%S Proceedings fo the Second International Workshop on Eye-Tracking Resources and Evaluation for Human-Aligned NLP
%D 2026
%8 May
%I ELDA
%C Palma de Mallorca, Spain
%F ivanov-etal-2026-eye
%X This paper described the use of eye-contact and facial expression tracking as part of a comprehensive approach to assertiveness training in a VR-based anti-bullying simulation environment. We briefly discuss the psychological foundations of assertiveness and then focus on our approach to tracking the facial expressions and eye-contact that a user maintains while communicating with the virtual bully in the simulation. We also outline additional non-verbal indicators tracked by the software and discuss the dialog system, which drives the simulation. Finally, we outline some ethical considerations, discuss the limitations of our current software prototype, and list future directions for enhancing assertiveness training in anti bullying education.
%R 10.63317/272u4yjfyuvn
%U https://aclanthology.org/2026.gaze4nlp-1.8/
%U https://doi.org/10.63317/272u4yjfyuvn
%P 50-57

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Markdown (Informal)

[Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education](https://aclanthology.org/2026.gaze4nlp-1.8/) (Ivanov et al., Gaze4NLP 2026)

Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education (Ivanov et al., Gaze4NLP 2026)

ACL

Lubomir Ivanov, Anabel Nolasco, and Mary Vrahimis. 2026. Eye-Contact and Facial Expression Tracking for Assertiveness Training in VR-Based Anti-Bullying Education. In Proceedings fo the Second International Workshop on Eye-Tracking Resources and Evaluation for Human-Aligned NLP, pages 50–57, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. ELDA.