Smartphone Apps for Domestic Violence Prevention: A Systematic Review

Mehreen Sumra, Sohail Asghar, Khalid S. Khan, Juan M. Fernández-Luna (), Juan F. Huete and Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas
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Mehreen Sumra: Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad 45550, Pakistan
Sohail Asghar: Department of Computer Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad 45550, Pakistan
Khalid S. Khan: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Juan M. Fernández-Luna: Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Juan F. Huete: Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Smartphone applications or apps are increasingly being produced to help with protection against the risk of domestic violence. There is a need to formally evaluate their features. Objective: This study systematically reviewed app-based interventions for domestic violence prevention, which will be helpful for app developers. Methods: We overviewed all apps concerning domestic violence awareness and prevention without language restrictions, collating information about features and limitations. We conducted searches in Google, the Google Play Store, and the App Store (iOS) covering a 10-year time period (2012–2022). We collected data related to the apps from the developers’ descriptions, peer reviewed research articles, critical reviews in blogs, news articles, and other online sources. Results: The search identified 621 potentially relevant apps of which 136 were selected for review. There were five app categories: emergency assistance ( n = 61, 44.9%), avoidance ( n = 29, 21.3%), informative ( n = 29, 21.3%), legal information ( n = 10, 7.4%), and self-assessment ( n = 7, 5.1%). Over half the apps ( n = 97, 71%) were released in 2020–22. Around a half were from north-east America ( n = 63, 46.3%). Where emergency alerts existed, they required triggering by the potential victim. There was no automation. Content analysis showed 20 apps with unique features, including geo-fences, accelerometer-based alert, shake-based alert, functionality under low resources, alert auto-cancellation, anonymous communication, and data encryption. None of the apps deployed artificial intelligence to assist the potential victims. Conclusions: Apps currently have many limitations. Future apps should focus on automation, making better use of artificial intelligence deploying multimedia (voice, video, image capture, text and sentiment analysis), speech recognition, and pitch detection to aid in live analysis of the situation and for accurately generating emergency alerts.

Keywords: domestic violence; violence prevention; smartphone apps; systematic review; intimate partner violence; violence against women (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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