THE CIRCLE OF 6
You’re on a date… with someone whose behavior is getting out of hand. Aggressive. Inappropriate. You want out. What you wouldn’t give to send a smoke signal to your very best friends, to have them call riiiiiight this minute, rescue you, give you an out. There is a mobile app that helps you do this — and more. There’s safety in numbers with Circle of 6.
Circle of 6 is a previous first place winner in the White House’s Apps Against Abuse challenge. It’s a tool that puts our most tight-knit support networks right in our pockets. Users can instantly and discreetly access their five most trustworthy friends should an unsafe situation rear its ugly head. GPS coordinates and mobile messaging functions give contacts all of the info they need so that that they jump into action to get help on its way ASAP.
The creative team behind Circle of 6 includes Nancy Schwartzman, founder of The Line campaign, and Deb Levine, founder and ED of ISIS. While brainstorming ideas and surveying college students, the two women found themselves drawn to the image of a circle. “[We] started researching the holistic properties of a circle: egalitarian, infinite,” Nancy told Act. “It’s how we hang out, especially in college. You have your crew, your gang, your circle. Your friends are nearby. You want them nearby. You can get out of these problems more easily if you can alert your friends more easily.”
They joined forces with designer Thomas Cabus and developer Christine Corbett Moran to create the secure, privacy-driven submission.
Does it actually help users feel safer? You bet.
Consider this stat from the White House: “Young women aged 16-24, experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault, and 1 in 5 will be a victim of sexual assault during college … Moreover, sixty percent of college students who have been in an abusive relationship say no one helped them.”
Guys and gals alike can find more information about Circle of 6 on Facebook, Twitter, and on the app’s website.
You’re on your way to work, out for your morning jog, or on the town with your friends just having fun when it happens – some creeper starts harassing you. Whether it’s catcalls, whistling, or more serious harassment like groping or stalking our app let’s you hollaback!
The Hollaback! smartphone app gives you the ability to do more than ever before. You can share stories of experiencing and witnessing harassment right after they happen, without having to wait until you can get to a computer. You can also see a history of stories you submit (and even share it via social media if you choose), look at the map for your city, read other folk’s stories, and let them know when you’ve got their back! You even have the option to choose between making a speedy report to get an incident on the map, or taking time to include the details of what you experienced.
You can download the app from the iTunes Store or Google Play.
For more details on how, and why, to use this awesome tool check out the FAQ!
