Exploring A Reporting Tool to Empower Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Self-Report Abuse

Document Title

Exploring a Reporting Tool to Assist Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Self-Reporting Abuse

Document Information

• Subject Areas: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Assistive Technology, Mental Health, and Abuse Prevention
• Keywords: Intellectual Disabilities, Developmental Disabilities, Abuse Reporting, Mobile Computing, Accessibility, Safety, Technological Innovation

Research Background and Issues

• Problems and Challenges:

  1. In the United States, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experience a high rate of abuse, yet the reporting rate remains extremely low.
  2. Most abuse reports are not initiated by the victims themselves but are completed by mandatory reporters (e.g., doctors or teachers) or witnesses.
  3. I/DD individuals face multiple barriers in reporting abuse, including manipulation and threats from perpetrators, as well as societal disregard and skepticism toward the experiences of individuals with disabilities.

• Research Significance: The severity of this issue is not only tied to the fundamental rights and protections of individuals but is also closely related to social equity and justice. By normalizing and simplifying the reporting process, the quality of life for I/DD individuals can be improved, and abuse rates can be reduced.

• Research Motivation and Related Work: Previous studies have primarily focused on the role of technology in abuse cases and how it can assist law enforcement in managing abuse incidents. However, there has been little development of self-reporting tools specifically for I/DD individuals. This paper addresses this research gap and emphasizes the potential of technology to create a safer and more accessible reporting environment.

Solution

• Proposed Solution: The authors propose developing a self-reporting tool based on mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones or tablets) to help I/DD individuals directly contact appropriate agencies to report abuse.

• Innovations:

  1. The tool design prioritizes accessibility for the I/DD population.
  2. It adopts a digital reporting approach to overcome the complexity and fragmentation of current reporting infrastructures.
  3. It explores enhanced assistive communication technologies to help I/DD individuals effectively describe abusive situations.

• Implementation Steps:

  1. Conduct surveys with 16 practitioners working in I/DD abuse support to understand abuse categories, perpetrator characteristics, and reporting patterns.
  2. Organize focus groups with 21 I/DD individuals to explore their awareness of abuse and reporting, as well as their usage scenarios for mobile devices.
  3. Conceptualize the design framework for the reporting tool based on analyses of existing reporting infrastructures and user needs.

• Key Technologies:

  1. Utilize Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies to support information transmission in complex situations.
  2. Incorporate location-based services (e.g., GPS) and mobile device authentication technologies to ensure real-time reporting and privacy protection.
  3. Develop interactive educational and support modules to enhance users' understanding of abuse types and feedback processes.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:

  1. Surveys reveal that I/DD individuals are highly vulnerable to abuse, particularly those with limited communication abilities, those dependent on caregivers in institutional settings, or those who are socially isolated.
  2. While many I/DD individuals have limited awareness of abuse identification and reporting, abuse prevention training significantly improves their cognitive abilities, confidence, and capacity for action.
  3. 83% of focus group participants expressed support for a mobile device-based abuse self-reporting tool, indicating its potential acceptability and feasibility.

• Comparison with Existing Solutions and Advantages: Compared to traditional reporting methods (e.g., hotline calls), digital reporting tools are easier to operate, reduce the need for human intervention, and offer better privacy protection.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  1. Focus group participants generally found tablet devices more convenient and believed such devices have good potential for interface design.
  2. The group reported shared device usage within families, suggesting future tool designs need to balance user privacy with the complexities of family interactions.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  1. Participants were primarily from specific samples with social support networks (e.g., day training centers), so the results may not apply to I/DD individuals lacking resources.
  2. Future research should further explore the design details of the reporting tool, including how best to protect the tool from interference by perpetrators and how to handle complex multi-agency reporting processes.
  3. Evaluate the tool's credibility and long-term benefits in practice, especially its applicability across different regions or cultural contexts.