Primary Crime Prevention Apps: A Typology and Scoping Review

Abstract

In the last decade, an array of smartphone apps have been designed to prevent crime, violence, and abuse. The evidence base of these apps has, however, yet to analyzed systematically. To rectify this, the aims of this review were (1) to establish the extent, range, and nature of research into smartphone apps with a primary crime prevention function; (2) to locate gaps in the primary crime prevention app literature; and (3) to develop a typology of primary crime prevention apps. Employing a scoping review methodology and following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, studies were identified via Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar. We included English-language research published between 2008 and 2020 that examined smartphone applications designed explicitly for primary crime prevention. Sixty-one publications met our criteria for review, out of an initial sample of 151 identified. Our review identified six types of crime prevention app examined in these publications: self-surveillance apps, decision aid apps, child-tracking apps, educational apps, crime-mapping/alert apps, and crime reporting apps. The findings of our review indicate that most of these forms of primary crime prevention apps have yet to be rigorously evaluated and many are not evidence-based in their design. Consequently, our review indicates that recent enthusiasm over primary crime prevention apps is not supported by an adequate evidence base.

“Wayfearing” and the city: Exploring how experiential fear of crime frames the mobilities of women students at a city-based university using a bespoke chatbot app

“…Third, our research makes a theoretical link between personal safety apps (Wood et al, 2022) and the field of locative media (Evans & Saker, 2017). This association provides a space to reflect on the unintended consequences of documenting place in this way.…”

“…For women, this can make "venturing out alone" feel less intimidating (Cumiskey and Brewster, 2012). Equally, by potentially enabling users to take "safer" routes home that hinge around imminent information (Wood et al, 2022), locative apps such as WalkSafe+ or Crime Map Watch UK, are ostensibly predicated on personal wellbeing. As reasonable as this might sound, there are numerous issues with so-called "personal safety" apps and more generally, the visualisation of where offences have taken place as well as where people have been most fearful of violations being committed.…”

Feeling safe: Safety app discourse and affective labor

“…Despite claims to make safety more accessible, many apps restrict features behind paywalls (Bivens and Hasinoff, 2018). The majority of safety apps focus on the victim and are developed by men working in the private sector (Wood et al, 2022). Most significantly, there is no evidence that safety apps actually improve safety (Maxwell et al, 2020; Ford et al, 2022; Wood et al, 2022).…”

“…The majority of safety apps focus on the victim and are developed by men working in the private sector (Wood et al, 2022). Most significantly, there is no evidence that safety apps actually improve safety (Maxwell et al, 2020; Ford et al, 2022; Wood et al, 2022). In effect, they are launched, malfunction, and then disappear.…”

“…While the apps target a variety of issues from domestic violence to the sexual abuse of people with disabilities, a large category of personal safety apps focuses on sexual violence against women in public space. Most of the feminist literature on these apps categorizes their functions and many failures (Ali et al, 2015; Bivens and Hasinoff, 2018; Eisenhut et al, 2020; White and McMillan, 2020; Ford et al, 2022; Wood et al, 2022). The safety app industry itself conducts a similar inventory of features, distinguishing one app from another for the purpose of promoting premium versions that come with more comprehensive forms of risk-management.…”