Animal welfare charity launches educational game

<h2 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">New Zealand animal welfare charity SAFE &lpar;Save Animals From Exploitation&rpar; has launched an online game to help teach young people compassion and empathy&period;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The storytelling game&comma; Animal Tales&comma; is designed to break the well documented link between animal abuse committed by children and adolescents&comma; and violent behaviour in later life&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Players are encouraged to develop their own story about caring for animals&comma; and can be used as a tool by educators to teach values&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The need for humane education in New Zealand is huge and urgent&comma;” says Nichola Kriek&comma; for SAFE&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We have a terrible track record of bullying and violence in this country&period; Empathy and kindness need to be taught so that the next generation have the tools they need to express compassion towards all living beings&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;safe&period;us8&period;list-manage&period;com&sol;track&sol;click&quest;u&equals;b742c634b8406787e766e5990&amp&semi;id&equals;7ab8ed4266&amp&semi;e&equals;add1bb6f09" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">SafeAnimalSquad&period;org&period;nz<&sol;a> is aimed at children aged between eight and 14 as research suggests that these ages are an important time in the development of perspective taking and empathy&period; Empathy is linked with more prosocial behaviours and fewer negative social behaviours such as aggression&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">To play the game&comma; visit <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;safe&period;us8&period;list-manage&period;com&sol;track&sol;click&quest;u&equals;b742c634b8406787e766e5990&amp&semi;id&equals;339729419c&amp&semi;e&equals;add1bb6f09" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">SafeAnimalSquad&period;org&period;nz<&sol;a>&period; More information on SAFE’s humane education programme is available at <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;safe&period;us8&period;list-manage&period;com&sol;track&sol;click&quest;u&equals;b742c634b8406787e766e5990&amp&semi;id&equals;0a87ec1d30&amp&semi;e&equals;add1bb6f09" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">safe&period;org&period;nz<&sol;a>&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;