Loyola University Chicago Develops 'Here for You' Smartphone App to Support Sexual Misconduct Victims on Campus
ByAt Loyola University Chicago (LUC), sexual assault survivors only need to look to their smartphones to find support and help in reporting their attack to the proper authorities.
According to the Huffington Post, the school offers its own smartphone app, "Here for You," designed for students on campus and in the Chicago area. LUC launched its app this academic year to help give support to survivors and to help victims report the crime quickly.
From the app's home screen, users are asked what kind of violence they experienced and can choose from four options: "dating/domestic," "stalking," sexual assault" and "I'm not sure." It also lists all the campus resources available for students who may be facing sexual misconduct and even can walk a person through helping a friend who may be a victim.
"This is not generally a topic that is very easy for students to discuss," Stephanie Atella, LUC Wellness Center health educator, told The Huffington Post. "The app was just a private way instead of walking up to a poster and writing a number down.
"I'm not sure we could quantify the number of hours we spent gathering information for the app and kind of figuring out what went into it."
The app is named after LUC's program for training faculty members on responding to a student's report of sexual assault. Any Loyola employee who completes the training is given a sticker that reads "I'm Here for You." The sticker is meant to go on the staff member's door or desk to signify to students they have completed the training.
LUC is the latest school to develop a campus-specific app to help students with acts of violence and sexual misconduct, joining the University of Texas - Brownsville, George Washington University and others.
Apps like these are much more private and easily used than attending a seminar or picking up a piece of literature.
"It's something that if a student was in a violent relationship, they could download it and [later] erase it from their phone," Atella said. "It's just really accessible for them."