[November 01, 2011]
WASHINGTON –(Business Wire)–
Two mobile phone applications that employ innovative uses of
text, email and social media, as well as offer users quick and easy
access to emergency assistance and dating violence and abuse resources
have won the Apps Against Abuse Technology Challenge – a national
competition launched in July 2011 by Vice President Joe Biden and HHS
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Prototypes of the two winning applications, “Circle
of 6″ and “On
Watch,” were selected from a pool of over 30 entries submitted to
the Apps
Against Abuse challenge page on Challenge.gov. These applications
will be available for free public download beginning in early 2012. HHS
will highlight these applications on www.hhs.gov/open,
as soon as they become available and will work with other federal
agencies to help spread the word about their availability.
Sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the
challenge called on software innovators to harness the power of mobile
technology to help prevent dating violence and abuse by keeping young
adults connected to trusted friends and providing easy access to
resources for help including local police and abuse hotlines.
“With these applications, a personal electronic device becomes a
powerful tool to help young women and men protect themselves, and their
friends, from becoming victims of violence,” said Vice President Biden,
who encouraged college and university leaders to make students on their
campuses aware of the applications when they become available for
download. “Thanks to the creativity and vision of these developers,
young men and women now have a new line of defense against violence.”
Vice President Biden applauded the winning applications earlier oday
during a conference call with hundreds of college and university
officials to discuss ongoing efforts to help better prevent and respond
to dating violence and assault on campuses across the country.
“These winning applications will help young Americans become more
empowered to prevent dating violence and sexual assault,” said Secretary
Sebelius. “Whether quickly checking in with your friends or sending
critical information to your support networks, these innovative tools
have the potential to protect and save lives.”
Young women aged 16-24 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual
assault, while 1 in 5 will be a victim of sexual assault during college.
Many of these assaults occur when the offender, often an acquaintance,
has targeted and isolated a young woman in vulnerable circumstances.
“We wish to celebrate all of the participants as they are part of a
growing movement that is fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit and a
desire to tackle our nation’s challenges – including campus violence,”
said U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. “They give me great
hope that we will invent our way towards a safer society.”
“The Apps Against Abuse challenge exemplifies how innovation and
collaboration can result in the creation of new tools to help Americans
stay healthy and safe, and in this case to help avoid violence and
assault,” said HHS Chief Technology Officer Todd Park.
Details on the winners of the Apps Against Abuse Technology
Challenge:
Circle
of 6: This iPhone (News – Alert) app makes it
quick and easy to reach your circle of supporters and let them know
where you are and what you need. It takes two touches to get help. The
app uses text messaging to contact your circle, uses GPS to locate you
when needed, connects to reputable domestic violence organizations, and
asks contacts to take a pledge on Facebook (News – Alert) to stop violence before it
happens.
On
Watch: On Watch is an iPhone app
that lets you transmit critical information by phone, email, text, and
social media to your support network. You can check in with friends,
call 911 or campus police with two touches of a button, set countdown
timers that send messages and GPS information automatically if events or
activities don’t go according to plan, and connect to sexual assault,
dating violence and domestic abuse hotlines.
Over the past year, in response to the high rates of violence and abuse
that continue to face young women under the age of 24, Vice President
Biden has refocused his longstanding commitment to reducing violence
against women specifically on teens and young adults. Under the vice
president’s leadership, the administration has undertaken a wide range
of new and innovative efforts to address the issue. In September, Vice
President Biden launched the 1is2Many
project – a call to action for high school and college-aged students
to share their ideas for how to prevent dating violence and assault at
the schools and on their campuses. In April, the
vice president introduced comprehensive guidance with Secretary of
Education Arne Duncan to help schools, colleges and universities better
understand their obligations under federal civil rights laws to prevent
and respond to the problem of campus sexual assault.
The Apps Against Abuse Technology Challenge furthers federal efforts to
increase support for victims of sexual assault and abuse and to create
innovative and targeted ways to bring about change. HHS uses challenges
as a way of encouraging innovative ideas to address the HHS mission of
creating a more transparent, participatory and collaborative government.
Descriptions of all eligible submissions to the challenge can be viewed HERE.
Prototypes of the winning applications will be made available to
reporters upon request.
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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