Towards a Holistic ICT Platform for Protecting Intimate Partner Violence Survivors Based on the IoT Paradigm

Abstract

Featured Application: A complete review of information and communication technology (ICT) strategies to manage intimate partner violence (IPV) and protect IPV survivors is provided. A holistic ICT solution which would overcome the limitations of previous works is presented, promoting symmetry in society.Abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a scourge that compromises the rights of many women around the world, shaping an asymmetry in civil rights. Fighting gender-based violence, especially when it is committed by an intimate partner, is an important responsibility that needs to be addressed from all angles. It is also remarkable that our society is clearly conditioned by information and communication technology (ICT), which involves many aspects of our daily life. Unfortunately, violence that is performed in the real world is also replicated in this 'virtual' existence, by offenders in ICT contexts. On the other hand, the same technologies also provide a plethora of opportunities to fight IPV, which are enhanced by the innovative paradigm of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). In this work, we first present a thorough compilation of ICT proposals already published-based on either hardware or software-aimed at protecting IPV survivors, and which can be applied in real life situations but also within social networks. The challenges that still lie ahead are highlighted and, a complete ICT-based platform for IPV management, within an IoT framework, that overcomes the limitations of previous works is proposed, and then promoting a symmetry between individuals in society.Symmetry 2020, 12, 37 2 of 17 in any form or means. According to UN (United Nations) statistics, almost 35% women around the world have experienced some kind of physical or sexual violence [1]. The same statistics show that some 75% of women face physical and sexual aggression. This is a call for attention to be paid to this scourge. It is incredible that in 2017, some 87,000 women were killed across the world, of whom 58% (50,000) were killed by their husband or other relatives (https://www.unodc.org/).In recent years much research has focused on IPV and its connection to many related issues, that is, social awareness [2]. This wide scope includes resources used by the victims (from now on, more appropriately called 'survivors') [3], barriers, and formal assistance in facing different expressions of violence [4]. Nonetheless, some authors like Bruckman have noted that the way violence is developed and its impact on women in an environment characterized by the use of information and communication technology (ICT), such as mobile phones, social media, or generally using internet, has not been properly studied or documented [5], although in recent years it has become an issue of study [6].In 2019, ICT and especially the internet, have clearly advanced in every aspect of society, and have had an effect in every part of the world. In the early 1990s, Haraway [7] anticipated the social changes and the effect, especially in gender issues, that...

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An Autonomous Alarm System for Personal Safety Assurance of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors Based on Passive Continuous Monitoring through Biosensors

“…Many researchers have investigated how ICT can be leveraged to safeguard IPV survivors [20]. A range of possibilities has been considered, including not only ML but also Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, domotics and other innovative technologies.…”