Eshan Maitra
An Australian researcher Rebekah Russell-Bennet, a social marketing expert at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and an Australian non-profit organisation YFS, proposed a prototype design of an app to help them create healthy relationships with their peers, aimed at 10- to 15-year-old boys. He is targeting their healthier development of their attitudes in order to prevent domestic violence. Something that has been surprisingly growing for past decade.
Specially, the app will help the boys talk to girls, and will give teens insight and advice about helping their friends and maintaining respectful relationships (I bet this will help everyone from Nerds to Jocks!). Since, Teenage years are very important of mental growth that shapes one’s future habits and permanent characteristics. Tendency of building ill attitude of domestic violence is one of them. The concept is still in its early stages. For now, the idea is gamification and social marketing to change teens’ attitudes about domestic violence before they enter into long-term relationships as adults.
YSF CEO, Cath Bartolo mentions in the app’s announcement, “The National Survey of Youth Attitudes reported very disturbing findings about young men’s attitudes and behaviors. Evidence shows that boys and young men are not clear on where to draw the line on what constitutes respect in relationships and what crosses the line in to harm. For example, many do not get that coercing a girl into sex is rape.”
But think, if the app used the words like “domestic violence”. This kind of obvious priority check will just turn young teenagers away. Rather they are trying to make it as some helping associate AI. Or a fun challenging game and checklist of achievements with some point features & badges. As Russell-Bennett said, “Making these positive behaviors normal is key for this group because social connections and belongingness are high priorities for them. Instead the app focuses on what they do want to know: about how to talk to girls, dating, having respectful relationships and supporting their friends, in order to promote healthy relationships among young people and positive male attitudes [In the long term].”