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Abstract
College-age women are at high risk for dating violence and tend to seek services at rates lower than older adults. Young women are more likely to look to their peers or to technology as a forum for accessing safety resources. This study explores a prototype smart phone application (“app”) that is a safety decision aid for female survivors of dating violence. The app is intended to assist young women to assess the danger in their abusive relationship, set priorities for safety, and develop a personalized safety plan. Through focus group sessions and individual interviews, 38 female college students in 4 states (Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, and Oregon) who self-identified as survivors of abusive relationships reviewed and provided feedback on the usefulness, understandability, appropriateness, and comprehensiveness of the app. The focus group sessions and interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Participants were positive about the potential of the app to provide personalized information about abusive dating relationships and appropriate resources in a private, safe, and nonjudgmental manner. Detailed feedback from survivors and recommendations for further development of the app are discussed.
Notes
In May 2010, Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old University of Virginia (UVA) student, was found murdered in her apartment. Her ex-partner George Huguely, also a UVA student, was convicted of beating her to death. In examining the case, there was significant evidence of previous intimate partner violence, including Huguely's prior use of violence, extreme jealousy, and threats to kill her when she ended the relationship. While Huguely's violence and threats to Love were well-known among their peers and UVA staff, no one on campus intervened, and Love did not recognize the danger she was in with Huguely (Dolak, Citation2012).