Domestic violence is horrifyingly prevalent all over the world, however, rates vary between different regions, often depending on how well-developed countries. This is due to both how well-established legal protections are as well as other factors including cultural norms and economic and political circumstances.
According to data generated by both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations (UN) Women. Indeed, the WHO has consistently found that higher rates of domestic violence are documented in developing countries.
The most recent figures show that 37% of women in low-to-middle-income households have experienced some kind of physical or sexual domestic violence at the hands of an intimate partner, whereas in developed countries, that figure is significantly lower, sitting at 25%.
Of course, those statistics involve far more complexity than straightforward figures – other important factors that need to be considered include reporting and underreporting which may be based on cultural factors as well as the availability of support systems and proper infrastructure.
With October being International Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we’d like to highlight some innovative types of technology that are being used to decrease DV and help survivors all around the world.
How Tech Can Be Used to Decrease Domestic Violence
These days, technology has a massive number of different applications – in fact, some would argue that it can be (and is being) used in just about every industry for the purpose of improving efficacy and efficiency in operations and performance.
Some industries are a little more complicated than others, however, including certain applications in health and medicine and, more recently, attempting to mitigate and deal with domestic violence.
Having said that, however, there are plenty of ways that modern technology is being used to protect victims and potential victims from intimate partner violence. That is, by means of detection and reporting technology, applications used to track both vulnerable people and perpetrators and so much more.
Here are some of the most important and effective ways in which technology is being used to combat domestic violence.
Applications for Safety
Over the last few years, several safety-related applications have been developed with the primary intention being to help protect anyone who may be vulnerable to domestic violence.
With plenty of applications emerging, they have varying uses and intentions behind their use – some are supposed to be used for easy reporting, for instance, while others are designed to be used as panic buttons in dangerous situations. In many cases, the design of these apps is focused on being discrete so that users can report incidents without having to alert their attackers.
The other type of application that is emerging in the domestic violence prevention space is educational and support resources. They allow women and other victims to learn about what domestic violence is, what their rights are, and a whole lot more about the legalities surrounding reporting incidents. In some cases, these apps even include features to facilitate the proper collection of evidence.
Virtual Counseling and Safe Spaces
There are now various ways in which survivors and victims can access different types of support and counselling.
This may be from mental health professionals working remotely, providing actual counselling sessions or even AI-driven chatbots that are programmed to provide immediate emotional support and crisis intervention in the absence of a therapist.
Social Media Monitoring
In some cases, concerned friends or family members may be able to employ programmes that can monitor social media interactions with the intention of detecting threats, signs of manipulation or anything else that may be of concern.
These platforms make use of AI to detect trigger words, behaviour patterns and photography in an attempt to try and flag potential (or current) cases of abuse so that further investigation can be conducted.
Geolocation Technology
For some cases in which perpetrators have been identified or caught, geolocation technology is being used increasingly to be able to track the locations of abusers. This is often used in the case of restraining orders.
Some modern technology exists in the form of specialised smart devices while others are software programmes that can be implemented in smartphones.
Voice Recognition for Detecting Distress
Programmers have created software that makes use of voice recognition software that has the ability to analyse changes in tone and pitch, detecting potential stress. This can be done via smartphones or smart home devices.
In fact, there are some ways in which software can be integrated into existing home voice assistants like Alexa or Google Home. These devices can detect distress and immediately alert the relevant authorities in case of danger.
AI-Powered Predictive Analytics
AI-powered predictive analytics can be used to analyse patterns of reported abuse in order to assist authorities and professionals in identifying high-risk individuals, households or situations.
It’s possible that machine learning algorithms could be used to predict potential escalations in conflict based on social media posts, financial activity or other behavioural data.
As this technology continues to progress, it becomes increasingly likely that domestic violence may be avoided rather than having to deal with survivors and the aftermath.
Wearable Panic Buttons
Innovators in the tech industry are developing devices like smart rings and smart bracelets that can be designed with built-in panic buttons. These buttons can be pressed in order to send alerts to authorities or other trusted contacts. They may also include location-tracking software that is quiet and discreet.
