Report on end-user needs
Month: March 2021
A report on the end-user needs has been developed, including the technical specification for video-based counselling service and app based support in the STOP-project.
In order to develop the STOP intervention, focus group interviews, individual interviews and workshops were conducted with relevant stakeholders in both Denmark and Spain. The following were identified as the main aspects where the women are in need of support:
- Acknowledgement: The pregnant woman does not see herself as a victim of violence and finds it hard to accept.
- Ambivalent emotions towards the partner: They have a lot of dreams and hopes regarding their relationship, and this makes it hard to accept that their “life project” to create a family is broken.
- Fear of the system: Fear of losing custody of their child if they communicate their situation.
- Resources: Worries about being on their own, having to do everything on their own and without financial support from the partner.
- Low self-esteem: Finding it difficult to make decisions and taking actions to change their situation.
- Isolation: Rebuilding their connections and relations in the world, helping them identify their network and learn about the resources available for help.
The user needs were translated into technical specifications for the video counselling software and the safety planning app.
Safety app finalized for STOP
The safety planning app that accompanies the video counseling has been finalized and is introduced to the women during their pre-sessions.
A safety plan is a personal and practical plan for the woman to minimize the risk of danger and exposure to violence. The purpose of a safety plan is to protect the woman in the best way possible from future violence. Creating a safety plan is a natural next step after having made a danger assessment of the woman.
The features of the app are emergency contacts, warning signs, strategies, general knowledge about domestic violence, a quick message function, a share my location function, a resource function, a diary, and general settings. The app is free, and available for iOS and Android. Each woman will download the app on her own smartphone from the App Store or the Google Play store and it will be available through the duration of the STOP project.