Biblio

Every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. Our work explores the use of on-body sensors to detect, communicate and prevent sexual assault. We present a stick-on clothing sensor which responds to initial signs of sexual assault such as disrobing to deter sexual abuse. The smart clothing operates in two modes: an active mode for instances when the victim is unconscious, and a passive mode where the victim can self-actuate the safety mechanism. Both modes alert the victim's friends and family, actuate an auditory alarm, activate odor-emitting capsules to create an immediate repulsion effect, and call emergency services. Our design is based on input from sexual assault survivors and college students who evaluated the clothing for aesthetic appeal, functionality, cultural sensitivity and their sense of personal safety. We show the practicality of our unobtrusive design with two user studies to demonstrate that our techno-social approach can help improve user safety and prevent sexual assault.

With the boom of ride-sharing platforms, there has been a growing debate on ride-sharing regulations. In particular, allegations of rape against ride-sharing drivers put sexual assault at the center of this debate. However, there is no systematic and society-wide evidence regarding ride-sharing and sexual assault. Building on a theory of crime victimization, this study examines the effect of ride-sharing on sexual assault incidents using comprehensive data on Uber transactions and crime incidents in New York City over the period from January to March 2015. Our findings demonstrate that the Uber availability is negatively associated with the likelihood of rape, after controlling for endogeneity. Moreover, the deterrent effect of Uber on sexual assault is entirely driven by the taxi-sparse areas, namely outside Manhattan. This study sheds light on the potential of ride-sharing platforms and sharing economy to improve social welfare beyond economic gains.