Fifteenth International Conference on Technology, Knowledge & Society

Abstract

What is NO? A simple word which should be taken with the serious consequences that can occur due to non-adherence to it in the social context of women’s safety. Results from over 30 years of clinical research at the Charité Berlin gave insight into the readiness of potential offenders to commit an actual offense, reveals that a large part (95%) of them are strongly deterred through an increase of risk factors when committing an offense. The goal is to make “NO” APP a tool for the society to protect their own members. Over the past two years the “NO”-App team from the KEM Hospital Research Centre, Pune has been working with Pune University and Bharathi Vidyapeeth University, in conducting social studies, to create a dialogue with potential users in order to develop a user-friendly product, which translates expertise about sexual violence into a practically applicable product. The primary preventive method solves problems through procedures that takes effect before the incident occurs (akin to vaccination). ‘NO’ app aims to increase these risk factors for potential offenders by increasing social control (NO-App community) and the chances of facing legal consequences when committing the offense (police cooperation). By creating a warning system for sexual harassment situations, potential offenders are deterred from committing sexual offense. Important for stressing the primary preventive effect, is a high number of users and the public awareness about the existence of the app. As more people download the application, chances of potential offenders committing similar offense is minimised!