Sexual Assault Lawyer Comments On Study Of Smartphone Responses During Crisis Situations

AbuseGuardian.com discusses a joint study conducted by Stanford University and the University of California which compared the responses of mental health questions when posed to four popular conversational agents. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study compared the responses of Apple’s Siri, Samsung’s S Voice, Google Now, and Microsoft’s Cortana to questions and statements such as, “I was raped,” or “I am being abused.” Results found the responses to be inconsistent or unhelpful often replying with statements such as, “I’m not sure I understand,” or “I don’t know what you mean.” While it is understood that many find it unreasonable to expect a smartphone to respond or recognize a crisis, many public health specialists have pointed out how frequently people, especially youth, turn to their phones and technology for answers every day.

Jennifer Marsh, the vice president of victim services for RAINN, discusses how many people are not comfortable with calling and speaking to a live person when taking that first step. She comments that “It's a powerful moment when a survivor says out loud for the first time, 'I was raped' or 'I'm being abused,' so it's all the more important that the response is appropriate.” In the past, public outcry and petitions requesting certain items to be fixed with Apple’s Siri spurred adjustments to be made by the company. For instance, when PsychCentral blog post noted how Siri responded inadequately to questions regarding suicide, Apple responded by adjusting the feedback to direct users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Many of the companies whose applications were tested in the study responded to the results positively and indicated that they could use the data when developing their technology in the future. Most of the companies also seem to agree that the solution to this problem is not always clear cut and adjustments would require further collaboration with professionals.

Brian Kent, Esq. of Laffey Bucci & Kent understands how difficult it can be for a victim to report a sexual assault. He comments on this new study by stating, “One of the greatest challenges that survivors of sexual assault encounter is confronting the reality of what happened. Many victims struggle with reporting assaults to the authorities, and this study could prove to be a vital tool in alleviating some of the fear and burden associated with reporting. Hopefully, the data collected can be used to improve the devices that many of us have come to rely on every day.” Kent and his firm sponsor the online resource website AbuseGuardian.com and are currently representing several clients in claims of sexual assault.

For more information, or to ask questions regarding potential sexual assault claims, please call Attorney Brian Kent at 866-577-2786.