ASU professor develops app for domestic violence victims

PHOENIX — An Arizona State University professor has developed a mobile application that will help domestic violence victims create a plan to escape their situation, according to ASU Now.

myPlan is a tool that helps domestic violence survivors identity the signs of intimate partner violence and create a plan to escape their abusive relationship. It is free to use and is available for both iPhone and Android.

The app was developed by a team of people, including Jill Theresa Messing, an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University.

Domestic violence affects nearly one in four women and one in seven men — and college-age women are at a high risk for intimate partner violence, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

In Arizona, the number of arrests for domestic violence aggravated assault increased 82 percent between 2001 and 2010 and in 2014, there were 109 domestic violence-related deaths in the state.

Messing said domestic violence can range from physical abuse, like pushing or slapping, to mental abuse like name-calling and harassing.

myPlan helps survivors “identify, navigate, and provides resources for a range of relationship abuse concerns,” including your relationship, a friend’s relationship, college relationships and LGBT relationships, according to the website.

The app is more geared toward women, as it is based on research with female-identified survivors, but officials hope the app will soon be able to include all gender identities.

Messing said it is important for victims to seek out resources like myPlan if it is safe for them to do so because they might not realize that they are in an abusive relationship.

“Knowing what a healthy relationship looks like is just as important as being able to recognize red flags for abuse,” she said. “Everyone deserves to be in a healthy and safe relationship.”

Domestic violence victims can also find help in other ways: A handful of shelters in the Phoenix area will take in victims and their pets and the ridesharing app Lyft is offering free rides for victims to get to a shelter through the end of the month.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or find additional resources online. 

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