It's About Feeling Safe

This blog was inspired by a conversation I had with my mother, a regular reader of my posts (shocker LOL). We were talking the other day and I mentioned a post Prevention is Possible 2.0 and the latest mobile phone apps I had written about. She then told me that my niece (a Sophomore in college) is using one but didn't know the name. As soon as I got off the phone with my mom I sent a text to my niece who told me she downloaded the SafeTrek app but thankfully had no need to use it yet. Because I had a more personal connection with this particular prevention tool I decided to not only look at their website but learn more about the development and inspiration behind it.

The SafeTrek app works by first downloading the app (for a small $3 monthly fee). When the user feels unsafe at any time she or he can launch the app and hold their thumb down on the safe button. When the user feels safe again they take their thumb off the safe button and enter a personal four-digit pin. In an emergency the thumb is released, the four-digit pin is not entered and the police will be notified of the users location and emergency. 

It all started in May 2013 at the University of Missouri by four young, progressive, compassionate male college students. I spoke to Aaron Kunnemann who is one of those amazing young men. He shared with me the following...After constantly receiving crime report emails and hearing stories from their friends about incidents that were occurring on their University of Missouri campus, four of them decided to tackle the problem that the campus blue light system was failing to solve. Once running the initial SafeTrek concept by friends, it became very clear that there was a need for it. 

They do no market the app (my niece actually found out about from reading an article on Tumblr) but choose to invest their time and energy into the app itself. As far as the product's development it's by only listening to and focusing on the users. They've been able to solve their problem in the simplest way possible - a single button design that puts police at your fingertips. The team came up with a solution which "has become the core of why we have been successful and how we continue to maintain an almost perfect 5 star app store rating on the Apple App Store", Aaron states proudly!

What's next for the SafeTrek app? Development is continuous as they look for ways to improve SafeTrek everyday. Right now, they're laser focused on optimizing operations and user experience in the United States, but may look to expand internationally in the future.

The four guys behind the SafeTrek curtain are:
Zach Winkler - Mobile App Developer/Computer Science
Zach Beattie - Entrepreneurship/Business Administration 
Nick Droege - Student Body President/Biological Sciences

Aaron Kunnemann - Project Management/Business Administration

I want to add how amazing I think these guys are and I'm so inspired by how many good young men are out there like them and the ones I see and meet at Take Back the Night rallies and Advocate training's. The good guys don't hear it enough.

Check out the SafeTrek App website here to learn more and instructions to download or donate to call center expenses.

SafeTrek - Mobile Phone App

The Next Generation

...As part of the UC Irvine speakers bureau there are many types of opportunities presented to me. Within the past few weeks I have presented my story to several different campus groups acting as sexual assault advocates. The students attend yearly training sessions. Some are students returning to the program and others are new trainees but all train together in the same group. The UCI Counseling Center has 2 peer education groups the first being Right to KNOW and the second CHAMPS. Peer Educators provide consultation services, develop and deliver workshops/training sessions, assess student need regarding many issues including metal health, stress management and sexual assault which is why I was there to speak to them. They would be exposed to my story which provides the benefit of a victims/survivors perspective before, during and after a sexual assault and my experience through law enforcement, the court process, counseling and the healing process.

The other group I spoke to were representatives of the universities greek community. There were about 40 students made up of one from each campus fraternity and sorority. The training they received would be taken back to their respective members so the leaders could share the information learned over the two-day seminar and also be the go to person for the organization. Sexual assault prevention, awareness, being an active bystander were all discussed with the students among other related topics. This is a proactive and not reactive approach to educating a very large group of students.

After each speech I take questions and let the audience know that I will answer anything without limitations on subject matter. The students never fail to impress me with the thoughtful questions asked some similar but to ones I've been asked before but always included new ones too. I also share with them how wise beyond their years they are and how important and invaluable their involvement is in these programs. I like to view what they do as a tree root not weaving its way through the earth but through the university campus. It begins with the student/peer educator who shares with other students who then shares it with more classmates and friends. Word of mouth on this particular subject is the best way to get the message across the campus.

Starting with these young minds sets an early precedent for their generation that we didn't have with mine. The sooner they learn sexual assault awareness and prevention the more likely we are on a path to not just lessen the occurrences but eliminate them all together. After completing my speech and Q&A session whether it be to peer educators, advocates, a classroom of nursing students or a campus Take Back the Night event I leave their hopeful that somewhere there will be one less victim of sexual assault female or male because of those people sitting in that room...