Citation

Maxwell L, Sanders A, Skues J, Wise L. Violence Against Women 2019; ePub(ePub): 1077801219832124.

Affiliation

Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801219832124

PMID

30854941

Abstract

Despite personal safety apps claiming to increase safety, few studies have examined the usefulness of such apps in reducing public stranger violence. A content analysis of personal safety apps available in the iTunes store and Google Play identified location-based services, personal alarms, crowd-sourced hot spot data, and geofencing as the most common features. The majority of apps offered interventions either at the time of the event or post-event, suggesting that they may reduce a user's fear of crime but have limited usefulness in reducing vulnerability to victimization. Implications for users, app designers, and key stakeholders are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

personal safety apps; public violence; vulnerability