[ This is an archive of the discussion I started in Reddit. You can find the original thread here... ]
I watched
this talk on TED from Sunitha Krishnan on her fight against sex slavery
(youtube link). I was emotionally totally disturbed after watching this talk and I couldn’t get my head out of it.
I have read about rape and other forms of sexual abuse before and a severe pain/anger remained in my mind at the fact that in case where women and children are the victims, they don’t have much to do in diffense as they are physically weaker. I couldn’t agree with this way of nature. I always believed that nature keep the balance of things but not in this.
I am an engineer by profession and I believe that an engineer’s job is to find soultion to complex problems in systamatic way and implement it. Though I couldn’t think of it from the shoes of an engineer because of the emotion involved in, an idea struck my mind after sometime. I feel that the only possibility for a victim to diffend the crime is through getting help from someone else. I have read about equipments which can be used to prevent rape but they are rarely effective and practical. The victim her/him-self cannot do much even with some weapon to protect. The best possibility is to get help from others. Like what are the possibilities that, a woman get no help even after she manages to alarm people nearby and they rush to the place. Clealy if someone can reach the place, the possibilities for the attacker to continue is very low.
So the question is how can she let others know that she needs help. She can cry for help, make use of her phone, etc.. But these are not that effective and in most cases may cause more threat from the attacker in an attempt to silence her, may even result in death. I was thinking about the most practical way to inform all who can help especially people nearby and police. Something like a “Panic button” which if pressed can alarm neighbours and police.
Now the questions are,
- Can we make such a panic button?
- Can she really press it?
- Does this mean she will have to carry it all time?
- What happens after she press it?
I do not have definite answers for any of these questions but a lot of possibilties which are by the way quite appealing to me.
-
Can we make a panic button?
- Yes. It should be someting lite, small, easy to carry, wearable electronic gadget that can inform police and all nearby people who are wearing the gadget.
- To inform the neigbours and polic, it needs some wireless, radio based communication that can operate on low power and long distance: possible. We may use existing cellular networks or even long wave radio as we don’t need to pass lot of information but just a signal to send something like an SOS
- To inform where to rush to, it needs GPS to give exact coordinates of the victim: possible. GPS chips operating at low power are already easily available in the maket.
- To start the alarm, it needs a button or may be combination of buttons (like a yellow and red swith to show level of threat). All she needs is to press the button and the device do the rest of the job.
- To tell neighbours about victim’s location, may be a small display on it show directions to the victim: possible with a elcetronic compass and a small LCD showing an arrow mark to the location.
- To power the device, may be solar straps (I am thinking about a wrist watch) and kinetics (as in eco drive wrist watche).
-
How does it work?
- In case of a threat from another human or a mishap a victim press the button. The device broad casts an SOS message with its current location and Serial number of device. Nearby devices can decipher thisi location information and use the display and compass to direct people to location of victim. Recievers at police aid post can pick up the location and serial number from SOS and find out where is help needed and who needs help (by comparing serial number with a database). Police can also get info about the people near by as they automatically broadcast a SOS acknowledment. Police can give directions to neighbours to help the victim till the time police reaches the location. People/police reaches the location and help prevent the attack and secure the victim. It can be made compulsary to wear the device in public, by law, to improve the effectiveness of the system.
-
Can she really press it?
- I think it will be easier than even making a loud noise or ofcourse using a phone. But the victim should stay consious to do this. If it is in the form of a wrist watch, possibilities of managing a click on the watch is good enough.
-
Does this mean people will have to carry it all time?
- Yes, there is no other way. But on the other hand we carry a lot of stuffs with us where ever we go, like cell phones, watch etc. So if we can turn a wrist watch to this device it will not be so much a burden to carry it. Surely considering the security it can offer. And if you want to remove it, say when you are home, you can do it using some safe word or someting. For example one can mark the coordinates of one’s home as a safe place where one will not be wearing it (disconnected mode). If the device is removed out side the safe zone say by force, it will send the SOS.
- People will also need to carry this if they are willing to help one in need or at least their dear ones. The device can alarm not only neighbours and force but a preset list of relatives or friends, may be.
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What happens after victim press the button?
- Ones who get the SOS can rush to the scene and help. Police will be informed and they can take necessary action to help the victim as well as prevent the attcker from escaping.
- Once everyone is aware of this device and if one is wearing one, chances of being attacked will be less.
Apart from preventing rape, this device can prevent any other violent crimes of this sort and it can act as a life saver. For example people can immediately inform the emergency services in case of a mishap, for example a road accident. Chances of pressing a button to making a call to 911 is quite higher. Maybe the device can be used in other forms as well for example to know where your friend are now (like in Google latitude), a social security number, etc Now here is the part where I need help from you.
Below are some notable comments I received.
I don’t like the idea of one more thing to carry around. I have a hard enough time remembering to bring my keys, ID and money with me when I go somewhere. I don’t want one more thing to keep track of. I also don’t like the inherently paranoid attitude I’d have to adopt in order to remember to grab my “rape alarm” and keep it with me at all times. Dragging a device around with me every where I go on the off chance that someone tries to rape or assault me seems kind of crazy.
I think something similar to this actually exists for senior citizens who live alone, to call for help in case they fall or have a dramatic health problem. Also, there are panic buttons on most college campuses at frequent intervals already, though I don’t think it is as common outside of campuses. I don’t really see how having more of these will benefit women, except if maybe the idea of a girl having the button would discourage men from trying to rape them in the first place.
And privacy concerns? Can you imagine the privacy advocates outrage at what would basically be a government run tracking system? And you seriously misjudge the general public if you think that neighbors are going to rush to help. Maybe you feel that your neighbors might come help but in high risk neighborhoods the general attitude is to mind their own business.
For the issue of whether or not it will be activated, perhaps it could be a passive device worn as a belt that when removed by force or without the proper combination will result in activation. Or more complicated maybe it can monitor heart rate, adrenaline levels, etc to automatically activate if there’s some distress.
Great idea, but there needs to be a way to filter false alarms from serious threats. Perhaps a combination of pushing the panic button?