Abstract
Information Communication Technologies (ICT), particularly mobile phone technology, has increased the propinquity between individuals by enhancing their ability to frequently communicate with one another through different mediums, like text, audio, video, and emojis. Cell phone technology is being used to combat various social issues, including several public health-related problems such as violence against women. Over the past two decades several cellphone-based apps, including Circle of 6, MyPlan, Panic Button, and Aspire News have been developed in several countries to prevent violence against women. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these apps are effective both as violence prevention and as an intervention tool in public as well as private spaces. However, very little awareness exists among social workers about these mobile phone applications (apps), particularly the capabilities and limitations of these apps. Based on a brief survey and classification of the existing mobile phone apps designed to prevent violence against women, this paper aims to explain how these apps work, and point out their capabilities and limitations so that social workers and public health professionals can better guide their clients in using these technology-based services. It is highly recommended that social workers evaluate how their clients are affected by the use or non-use of violence prevention apps and advocate for their client’s right to digital literacy and internet access.
Highlights
Information Communication Technologies (ICT), mobile phone technology, has increased the propinquity between individuals by enhancing their ability to frequently communicate with one another through different mediums, like text, audio, video, and emojis
Cell phones are already in use to aid in several public health-related problems, including adherence to diabetes treatment (Kwon et al, 2004), smoking cessation (Obermayer, William, Ofer, & Jersino, 2004; Rodgers et al, 2005; Vidrine, Arduino, Lazev, & Gritz, 2006), suicide prevention (Aguirre, McCoy, & Roan, 2013) and adherence to HIV treatment (Dean, Makin, Kydd, Biriotti, & Forsyth, 2012; Ingersoll et al, 2014; Mbuagbaw et al, 2012; Puccio et al, 2006; Rodrigues et al, 2012)
A study interviewing 10 women residing at a domestic violence shelter in the United States revealed that not knowing how to securely and privately use the social networking sites was primarily responsible for women refraining from using their mobile phones (Dimond, Fiesler, & Bruckman, 2011) even though they admitted that it was a valuable tool for seeking social support
Summary
Information Communication Technologies (ICT), mobile phone technology, has increased the propinquity between individuals by enhancing their ability to frequently communicate with one another through different mediums, like text, audio, video, and emojis. Over the last decade — ever since smartphones became popular — several cell phone apps, such as bSafe, Circle of 6, Hollaback!, Panic Button, LifeLine Response, and Guardly, (Brathwaite, 2012; Jones, 2014; Rosenthal, 2013; Zraick, 2010) have been developed to address the general issue of women’s safety. These smartphonebased apps enable users to send predetermined text messages to their registered emergency contacts along with the global positioning system (GPS) location and physical address by just shaking the device or pressing the panic alarm /danger alert button. Users of the MyPlan app pointed out that the electronic medium of communication was preferred, and not having to discuss “face-to-face” at the counseling center reduced the social desirability bias in their responses (Alhusen, Bloom, Clough, & Glass, 2015; Eden et al, 2014; Glass et al, 2015; Glass et al, 2017; Lindsay et al, 2013)
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