Domestic abuse remains a pervasive issue, affecting both physical and digital safety. Studies show that approximately 1 in 3 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men experiencing physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. However, the nature of abuse is evolving and changing. In the digital age, monitoring and surveillance have become an increasingly more prevalent aspect of domestic abuse tactics—1 in 10 teens report that their partner has used technology to stalk or monitor them (including tampering with their social media), posing the need for a discrete method in which victims can call for help without risk of detection in and outside the home. 

Current panic buttons fall short of addressing these realities: the industry standard model and system(LifeAlert) only provides a 1,000-foot signal from its main console, limiting both mobility and safety. Combined with weak systemic support—more than 70% of workplaces having no infrastructure in place to address abuse situations—these facts underscore the need to bridge this technological gap, developing a product that is a discreet, mobile, and a reliable solution to empowering victims to seek help safely. 

Market Research: Survey, Statistics, and Articles

Products like the one we intend to design are in a relatively competitive market, with items such as Femme, LifeAlert, Invisawear, etc. Most require proximity and a charged phone or console, are dependent on some sort of system, have limited signal range, or are easily recognizable. In addition, many products rarely take into consideration collecting evidence and storing this evidence somewhere that cannot be tampered with. The lack of discreet, independent devices capable of securely transmitting distress signals reflects a significant innovation gap in personal safety technology. 

From a health perspective, domestic abuse poses not only physical risks but long-term psychological and physiological effects: survivors are 2 times more likely to develop symptoms of depression, 3 times more likely to meet the criteria for PTSD, and 4 times more likely to attempt suicide. Health professionals often struggle to intervene early because victims lack accessible, confidential ways to seek help during or immediately after abusive events as well as face some mental barrier that prevents them from reaching out. A discreet, wearable alert system with the intent to make victims more comfortable in reaching out could bridge the gap between crisis onset and medical intervention.

While protective laws exist, they depend on the victims' ability and/or choice to reach law enforcement or document evidence—actions that are unrealistic and often dangerous under coercive and manipulative control. Current technology does not adequately empower victims to exercise their right to communicate with the proper authorities in all situations. A discreet device that could aid in verifiable evidence collection could strengthen legal protection as well as ensure emergency response. 

Experts during the Element A phase greatly shaped our project. We interviewed a therapist, a firefighter with EMT certification, a police officer with years of domestic violence, and got a mentorship from a cybersecurity engineer. 

Through extensive background research, patent research, data collection, and market analysis, this phase of our project has illustrated a glaring need to fill a niche in the market with a discreet, independent, and reliable safety device tailored to the needs of those currently in abuse situations. Survey findings and contextual research have confirmed the demand and social value of a product that enables victims to communicate safely and confidentially without dependence on established infrastructure, as well has helped us identify that such products should be distributed in domestic abuse shelters or be bought online. Interviews have helped facilitate two potential designs: one that is court mandated for abusers and one to protect the general public. Our problem is clearly defined and we are ready to focus on design ideation and prototyping.