Melbourne: Wondering if you are in an abusive relationship? There is an app for that! A new smartphone app can help young women to understand the warning signs of abusive behaviour in relationships.
The iMatter app was designed to teach women about intimate partner violence and build resilience. The users could share content and use the app as a personal journal, according to Carmel O’Brien, director of clinical services at community services group Doncare.
“It’s a bit like a virtual library of images, video clips, quizzes, articles,” O’Brien said. She said many girls thought controlling behaviour was actually protective, ‘ABC news’ reported.
“(Girls told us) we hear about healthy relationships in all sorts of useful ways,” O’Brien said. “But nobody tells us about that fine line between abusive and controlling behaviour,” she said.
A recent Australian study found 22 per cent of girls aged under 20 had been victims of harm from dating violence.
