Essay on Access and acceptance

1800RESPECT own recent research into potential for online video counselling – contains valuable insights into access to technology and services, as well as perceptions, and factors affecting uptake. 1800Respect service removes barriers to accessing supports in person. The more the barriers are removed to the particular issues the better they can help to get the advantages of the particulars situations.

But, low awareness of service (people also using scenario/incident language in searching for information, rather than policy and information). In order to create the awareness, the training sessions and the seminars can better be conducted that can help the users of certain mediums.

Research finds high rates of internet usage (92% access it daily in metro, 80% daily in regional/remote)

Conflicts with anecdotes/”received wisdom” that absence of internet access is a barrier

High levels of support for OVC (76% overall support, increasing to 89% for users of 1800) – suggest support for innovation, but still preference for human contact and style of interaction

Service providers perceive a “gap” in both channel access/availability (i.e. there are people who can’t get through) and in the service type (picks up on the same point above from internal conversation – channels can/should do more than just information)

People with disability respond positively if they have limited mobility or ability to travel

Five key factors influence likely usage of OVC

o   Internet access and personal technical capability

o   Safe and secure access

o   Privacy and confidentiality

o   Choice and options in delivery – timing, and counsellor

o   Quality and trust (e.g. qualifications)

Accessibility was hampered by both cognitive concerns (e.g., English-only sites) and affective concerns (e.g., a tone which focused on data transmission rather than on information use).

These are not just showing expansions of technology, but the uses of the technology to expand capabilities of channels beyond just the provision of information. The era of technological advancements and the innovations require people to provide the situations with the unique and the innovative solutions. This can better be done by making use of the advanced and the latest technology 

Intersections between abuse and technology

There exist various intersections between abuse and the technology. It can include as given:

Perpetrator types

Coercive controllers (Evan Stark – American sociologist)

·         Micromanage victim lives, isolate them from friends/family, track movements, and apply rules

·         Deprived of money, food, communication, and transport

·         Stark estimates 60-80% of victims seeking help have been subjected to a type of coercive control

·         Use isolation, gaslighting, surveillance to take any liberty and self

Patterns/”blueprint” - Trust, isolate, monopolise perception, etc.

Forms of abuse/early signs/symptoms

• Financial
• Financial abuse is not correlated with domestic violence
• But domestic violence is correlated with financial abuse
• i.e. it’s a warning sign, about control, removing autonomy, empowerment
• Leaves victims dependent, unable to escape without hardship, keep ties and control beyond the relationship
• Taking control of finances and money, restricting access, monitoring usage, restricting work, taking pay, undisclosed spending/purchases, accruing and transferring debt
• Referrals centre around advice, support and service referrals, access to microfinance, and apps (Penda)

Related of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

·         Survey in UK – half of respondents were being monitored online. See technology as a tool, but also as a risk – if people don’t fully understand how to use it safely

·         How can conversation work here?

o   Soft keyboards can’t be key logged

o   Digital humans can also orchestrate with on-screen elements that can be tapped or clicked – can’t be key logged

o   Can begin each conversation by asking questions about safety – does your partner have access to this device?

·         Technology needs to be discrete, disguisable and invisible – yet still retain data optionally, for later investigation.

 Uses of technology of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

In Australia:

Several websites are working on this social issue in Australia to provide a solution as well as security to women against domestic violence. These websites are mainly developed to keep tracking of the social issues faced by the woman users regarding financial abuse and domestic violence as both are proved as a variable having a strong relationship with each. Additionally, the information presented in this section is related to the appropriate use of technology regarding this social issue. In the presented below list, some websites are presented as examples which are working for a woman in Australia. 

1)      i-decide.org.au of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

The prime objective of this website is to provide a platform for female users of this website to become more self-reflecting regarding their relationships. Here in this platform woman are free to discuss their relationship status and its health. In response to their discussion, support team provide them with suggestions that might help them in planning safety and wellbeing of relationship. The University of Melbourne has a team of researchers in general practice who are working on these social work, women's health, nursing, and health technology-related projects. Website is primarily for those women who feel unsafe and insecure because of their relationship with current or ex-partner.  

2)      Hello Cass of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

Hello Cass website is a technological solution for increasing domestic violence in Australia. Hello Cass provide a chatbox with chatbot where users can send SMS to share their social issues without having fear and shame as mostly woman share same kind of messages at this platform. Hello Cass is using the SMS system because it’s reliable and accessible for users while using any type of handset. Through this platform, the woman can easily discuss and report their experiences about family violence, sexual assault, psychological abuse and sexual violence. Following the company's policy, all information shared in this platform is kept private and secret to prevent users from cyberbullying and blackmailing. 

3)      Commsync and Duress     of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

[https://commsync.com.au/]

This website is working in Australia as a safety-focused website that enables a user to notify emergency services. The theme behind this service is to provide care to those who are at risk. In this service, the government is practically involved and woman is given security on the spot when they contacted Commsync and Duress for their safety against domestic violence and sexuality abuses. However, it also works for children living in a situation of family violence.

4)      Glue and You    of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

[https://www.glueandyou.org/]

The website is based on a social community who raise their voice and take actions against domestic violence and family issues. This community has also the responsibility to provide an opportunity for the women who have suffered social and domestic violence to lead their rest of life in a better way. Conclusively, it is a community for women to rebuild their lives after bad experiences of relationship, social abuses, sexual violence, and domestic violence.

5)      AILIRA (beta) of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

[www.ailira.com]

Ailira.com is a website with chat-bot that utilizes artificial intelligence to provide chatbot to the users. According to the research, Ailira is a firm without lawyer although operations are almost the same. This is Ailira is available in shopping centres, rural areas and public places to enable users to access law-related documents easily without visiting a lawyer. This system has made it easy for women and children to take legal action against social abuses and violence.

6)  Deevi of  Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions 

[http://try.lawpath.com.au/deevi/]

This system is working in Australia as an innovative system to control domestic violence as it provides services to women and children to talk about their issues regarding sexual abuses and domestic violence with artificial intelligence-based ChatBot. Then chatbot takes them to the right and appropriate services available for their issues. First of all, Chatbot makes it clear that the first step can be intimidating – especially if they’re not sure they’re a victim. Users can check whether they are the victim or not in accordance with Law and social acts. Searching such things can be dangerous if it leaves a digital footprint for the abuser to follow while Deevi provides full security by keeping records secret. The chatbot provides clarity on the role to its users and suggests them a better solution to their issues by following the law path.

7)      Penda

[https://penda-app.com/]

Penda is fully functional in Australia with its services for social and domestic violence. Penda provides advice on safety, money, DV, and several domains. Penda is a mobile application that can be download to use in limited areas of Australia to stay in touch with the professional advisors regarding social issues and solutions for such issues.

International

In the United States  

The United States is famous for its technological advancement and excessive use of artificial technologies relates to products and services. IT specialist and government are using these technologies for the betterment of society and control of social issues including domestic, sexual, and family violence. Here enlisted below are the technology-based services and products offered to communities of US:

1)   HelpSelfLegal

[https://www.documate.org/about]

(Artificial intelligence-driven chatbot)   

The service is similar to robotic solutions as it provides a platform with chatbot developed with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The prime responsibility of this chatbot is to gathers emotionally sensitive information to full out court documents about the experiences of users. In this service, the "interview" approach is used to collect data from the victim. Moreover, interviews are breaks down into simple questions. Users can get lots of help and explanations regarding a particular question. Additionally, it provides them with options to stop questions or overall interview at any time and resume later. It is the time standing solution as it collects the most relevant information in the first sitting and then processes that information to reach a suitable solution.

2)      LoveIsRespect

This website is mainly focused on advice for young people who are dating with opposite-gender partners. LoveIsRespect has launched live chat and text messaging service for its users because of which now users can share their issues with the multiplied agent by contacting them. Additionally, users can communicate with more than one agent simultaneously. It is a new skill set for agents though – communicating in forms and length suitable for text.

3)      Voices and Faces

[https://voicesandfaces.org/about/]

  Voices and faces are the aware-winning projects launched in the US for domestic violence. It encourages users to use this platform to share their own stories and experiences about domestic violence and sexual abuses. The prime purpose of this platform is to spread awareness in people regarding gender-based violence in the community and raise the voices of the victim for justice.

4)      AboutFace   

[https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/aboutface/]

Similar to the voices and faces it also a digital storytelling (DST) platform for the victims to share and discuss their issues at the digital platform to get help from veterans recognize PTSD. Aboutface provides them help as well as it motivates them to find out a proper evidence-based treatment for their issues and develop a protocol for security.

5)      SafeNight

[https://www.safenightapp.org/]

SafeNight is a mobile application for the support of people who feel insecure at night because of the unsafe environment or threats of sexual abuses. Through the use of this mobile application, users can donate some tax-deductible amount to the service provider. While service providers use this amount to provide a safe location for a night stay to victims and insecure people. At this place, people having domestic violence experiences or other insecurities can live free of cost until they feel better.

6)      Jael.ai

 [http://jael.ai/]

This platform is a digital platform supported by artificial intelligence (AI) to support victims of domestic violence. This service is specifically focused on the trauma caused by domestic violence. People living in the US can easily contact their chatbot to discuss their problems and AI-based chatbot will provide them suggestion regarding the solution of that trauma problem caused by domestic violence. Moreover, this service has some safe accommodations also for these victims to remain safe for the time being until they get a proper solution to this problem.

United Kingdom

1)      Bright Sky

[https://www.hestia.org/brightsky]

Bright sky is a support service for experiencing domestic abuse or who are seeking a safe their friends and family members from domestic violence related experiences. Bright sky enables them to provide evidence (based on photo, video, text or audio form) regarding violence and get online support from the Brightsky team regarding stalking and harassment issues.

India of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

India is now paying attention to digital media and technologies to control increasing domestic violence cases and provide support to victims. However, currently, only one website is working properly. Safecity.in is the website offered to the citizens of India to discuss their social issues with online support team and chatbot. These chatbots have the responsibility to report such social violence and domestic violence cases by following the entire legal process and support victim to come back in normal life.    

South Africa

Rainbow (www.hirainbow.org)

(Artificial intelligence-driven chatbot)

This website aims to prevent domestic abuse by offering a non-judgmental, unbiased and safe environment to prevent and detect early signs of abuse. Website is mainly focuses on stories as a way to reduce isolation, with a specific focus was on how stigma, embarrassment, social and cultural conditioning, and shame are barriers to talking to people. Chatbot uses data from conversations to build evidence (individually and societally). Website has shown that targeted, personalised education is needed to help people identify abuse and when it is happening to them, and that while people need information they don’t always want to speak to another person, nor go to police.

Thailand of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

SisBot

All the same issues with under reporting and investigating AI conversational services for women regarding violence cases. Sis Bot is a chat bot that can provide 24/7 information services for survivors of violence, accessible through their mobile device or a computer. A woman facing domestic violence can for instance, message the Sis Bot via Facebook Messenger and it will immediately respond with information about how to report to the police, how to preserve evidence, and what support services or compensation they are entitled to by law.

Global of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

Chayn (https://chayn.co/about/)

This website is an open platform that uses a chatbot with icon “cat” to build connection. Website has very basic level services as it basically navigates to information.

Potential Solutions

Different potential solutions are feasible to extract predefined objectives. When considering the potential outcomes a set of qualified solutions that could address the identified areas of need, the potential benefits, and the technological and organisational change are essentially required.

There are several contemporary approaches with having concern on the Information challenges can communicate to address the outcomes and solutions. The challenges are related can be regarding methods of communication and breaking down the project. The concern is to identify and reduce clinical barriers.

1800RESPECT have set three objectives as listed below,

1. Reduce channel load

At this point, the objective is to move simple questions to channels.

2. Information for informal networks 

To collect information about networks and identify how it could be effective.

3. Telling stories

Telling and narrating related stories can reduce clinical barriers.

The lessons gained from projects like Rainbow will define the Importance of distinction and how a person is ready to take Initiatives. We will provide evidence that will help the person. Sometimes, based on evidence, it takes a long way to reach final destinations such as It could take 3 years according to 1800RESPECT. All the related reasons are highlighted in the analysis. They will have a chance to relate the story without having any judgement. This will be not replacing people, but it will fulfil an UNMET demand.

In case of low and less awareness of the services, the statement provided for the UK will be based on the Information, Incident, scenario and other conditions rather than policy/information searches

Opportunities/Need to integrate

Services like this can be integrated with other channels such as escalations or referrals. 1800RESPECT will use digital humans that could provide some services. These services will be parallels with mental health counselling.

Another example of secondary channel usage Is Victorian government resource for the delivery of Information and development on family violence. The possible sources to address the Issues are channels such as seniors online, information distributed with Victorian Seniors Cards, Seniors Week and the Seniors Information Centre [within 12 months].

In the channel load, the main concerns are towards searching for new Information that will constitute 12% of the volume. In this way, the repeatable pattern will be used that work based on Interactions.

The second strategy is to use a method of telling and narrating stories. The stories will have some similarities with the listeners. Telling stories Is first disclosure of 1800RESPECT that will consider effects with the parallel case studies. The case studies will be related to mental health and military of the United States.

Opportunity

1800RESPECT has an opportunity to use 1^st call triage that is very structured. In this process, they don't do diagnosis and the only process is to do disposition that Is mainly based on an assessment. The system is based on the use of a decision management system, but it is done with nurses. This means it could be done by a system. Storytelling will provide users with an opportunity to relate the stories and express their experiences. The data collected by having discussions on stories will be used as observation from the clinician facilitated sessions. It will be the most beneficial and effective method used in 1800RESPECT.  A staggered approach considers learning to tell/share your story. Group counselling, IVR, and general Q&A on the website (but extend to conversational AI) are the potential methods used in this strategy.

Benefits of Digital Service Options for 1800RESPECT on an examination of needs, contemporary approaches, and solutions

Storytelling strategy Is relaxing and less problematic strategy. 1800RESPECT consider the mindset of a storyteller by having the shorter conversation so It reduces channel load. Another benefit of using the storytelling method Is that It reduced unnecessary counselling and keeps resources available for highest need, reduced contact time, faster referrals.