If Technology Can’t Stop Domestic Violence From Happening, What Else Can It Do?

November 25th was the International Day for the Elimination of Domestic Violence, but a domestic violence incident became a hot search on the day. Domestic violence occurs all over the world, and 125 countries currently have laws prohibiting domestic violence. But there are always people who ignore the law and cause harm to the weaker party. In addition to turning to the law for help, now perhaps AI can also provide help.

November 25th of each year is a day established by the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, also known as International Day for the Elimination of Domestic ViolenceThe day was originally established to protest against violence against women, but the internet was dominated by a domestic violence incident.

This day,Well-known makeup blogger YuyaOn Weibo, she disclosed her experience of domestic violence. The details of the domestic violence were shocking and sparked heated discussions from all walks of life.

Yuya once became popular on the Internet for a beauty video imitating Mona Lisa on Douyin. She currently has more than 1.7 million Douyin fans and 980,000 Weibo fans. But it was also because of her popularity on the Internet that she met her ex-boyfriend and fell into the nightmare of domestic violence.

Domestic violence, a global social problem 

The domestic violence cases we see are actually just the tip of the iceberg.

According to statistics from the All-China Women's Federation, there are currently 270 million families in ChinaApprox. 30% of women have experienced domestic violence, 157,000 women commit suicide in my country every year, of which 60% are related to domestic violence.

Globally,On average, every four womenOne of them suffered from domestic violence to varying degrees..

In 2017, 87,000 women were killed worldwide as a result of domestic violence, more than half of them at the hands of their closest relatives.

In the face of domestic violence, victims often endure everything silently for various reasons, such as not wanting to disclose their privacy, believing that "family disgrace should not be made public", being threatened by the abuser, etc. It is therefore difficult for others to understand what the victims are going through.

For example, in the TV series "Don't Talk to Strangers" released in 2001, An Jiahe is a "gentleman" who looks well-dressed to outsiders, but he abuses his wife again and again at home.

In order to ensure that victims receive timely assistance, many companies have developed products based on AI technology to promptly assist victims in filling out legal documents, provide shelters, or connect lawyers with victims.

Legal AI: Let victims get personal protection in timeProtective Order

Changing the abuser is not something that can be done overnight. What can be done now is to provide help to the victim. Many companies at home and abroad have used technology to help victims of domestic violence, allowing them to escape the abyss of pain as soon as possible.

writ of habeas corpus,It is an important administrative and judicial means for the United States to prevent domestic violence and protect victims.

Applicants can apply for a protection order by calling a hotline or going to a local court and finding a lawyer. The most time-consuming step is filling out the application form.

And finding the right lawyer can cost hundreds of dollars per hour.Cost, which is unaffordable for some low-income people.

In December 2017, the Documate platform was launched with the efforts of many volunteers to help low-income victims of domestic violence and provide them withAutomated LawServe.

The platform asks victims emotionally sensitive questions to target abusersFill out the necessary court documents.

Documate is a website that asks users to answer some easy-to-understand, friendly questions. Interview user, these questions are designed with trauma victims in mind.

The questions are asked in a step-by-step manner, which will not cause emotional resistance in the victims. Moreover, talking to the machine is more private for some victims who find it difficult to speak.

If the experience is too stressful, users can leave at any time and come back to complete the interview when they feel better. Users can also upload evidence and screenshots throughout the process.

Once the "interview" is completed, you can prepare the documents to be filed electronically, mailed, or in person, according to the court's requirements.The platform automatically archives documents, which greatly improves lawyers' work efficiency.

In addition, the platform greatly reduces the time lawyers spend on reviewing final documents, as they no longer need to read the documents carefully every time. Overall, the platform will be more efficient in drafting various complex documents.Save time with 90%.

“I created technology that streamlined the process, enabling people to write their own paperwork,” said founder Dorna Moini. “I can then spend my time on legal tasks that technology can’t replace, like advocating for clients in court.”

Deevi: Anti-domestic violence conversation robot

Documate isn’t the only AI tool helping victims of domestic violence.

Based on IBM Watson's program Deevi,Australia's first AI-powered domestic violence chatbot.

The team developed Deevi with the goal of solving problems for victims and providing advice, such as communicating with them about their current situation, where to find formal agencies to intervene, and how the law can protect them.

Deevi allows users to have real-time conversations with the Deevi Chatbot.The bot asks users questions about what happened with their close friends, and then provide appropriate information based on their response.

Co-founder Woolrych explained:Deevi can determine if domestic violence is likely to occur and then develop an action plan for the user., tell them what they can do, how to protect themselves, and most importantly, point them in the right direction.”

Woolrych also explained: “Victims are often unsure of what domestic violence is and whether what is happening to them constitutes domestic violence. Deevi is able to tell them.”

The program also ensures the anonymity and confidentiality of users, and the conversation is automatically deleted when it ends, and nothing the user types is stored. "Victims often live with the person who committed the violence, so searching on Google can be risky."

and Deevi will also promptly learn relevant legislation to provide victims with accurate legal rights.and information on how to get further help and support.

Dealing with domestic violence: Technology is not the most important means

In California, there is also a product called jael.ai that helps victims by helping them find safe housing, connecting them to nearby shelters and providing them with other resources.

However, both jael.ai and Deevi aim to connect victims with legal professionals, rather than guide victims through the legal process itself or provide direct relief to victims.

To truly prevent domestic violence, the help that technology can provide is still very limited. In order to make society pay attention to domestic violence, we still need to strengthen education in the whole society to prevent tragedy from happening again.

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