Survivor Feedback on a Safety Decision Aid Smartphone Application for College-Age Women in Abusive Relationships

Megan Lindsay, Jill Messing, Jonel Thaller, Adrienne Baldwin, Amber Clough, Tina Bloom, Karen B. Eden, Nancy Glass

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    50 Scopus citations

    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.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)368-388
    Number of pages21
    JournalJournal of Technology in Human Services
    Volume31
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2013

    Keywords

    • college students
    • dating violence
    • decision aid
    • emerging adults
    • intimate partner violence
    • smart phone app

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Health(social science)
    • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
    • General Social Sciences
    • Computer Networks and Communications

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Survivor Feedback on a Safety Decision Aid Smartphone Application for College-Age Women in Abusive Relationships'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this