design for release: supporting victims of sexual violence

In the Netherlands, around 100,000 people become a victim of sexual violence each year, 90% of which are female, and mostly between 12-24 years old. ‘’Sexual violence is a term used for all sexual acts that someone is forced to perform, undergo or see. It may involve sexual assault, rape or sexual abuse.’’ (Centrum Seksueel Geweld, 2019). The consequences on victims’ lives are severe. Victims can experience mental, physical and/or social problems, affecting their daily lives and sometimes lasting a lifetime if left untreated. 98% of the victims don’t look for help due to feelings of shame, fear and guilt (Bicanic, 2018). The aim of this thesis is to propose a design solution to aid with the processing of sexual violence, to specifically design for female victims (between 12-24 years old at the time of the event) of sexual violence in a way that reduces the negative effects on their daily lives. The research phase focused on defining the negative effects and finding opportunity areas, using elements of ViP and systemic design methods. Based on literature and field research, the broad context of support after sexual violence was built. The research included interviewing victims and experts in the field. Insights were gathered in a system map, which visualized all stakeholders and their relations. The problems victims experience were listed and discussed. Themes were identified and formed the basis for a worldview, summarizing the current meaning of sexual violence in the Netherlands. Based on the context research, a vision was formed including a framing statement, an interaction vision and design boundaries. Firstly, the most important stakeholders in the system were defined: the victim herself and her loved ones. The negative effect which needed to be addressed was the deteriorating bond between the victim and her loved ones, due to misunderstanding and ignorance of loved ones around the effects of sexual violence. Following this, the statement goal was to make a loved one feel confident in engaging with the victim by facilitating the sharing of insecurities in a playful way. This vision formed the basis for ideation. Ideation involved a generative session, individual ideation as well as rapidly prototyping ideas. The outcome was a working mechanism ensuring the sharing of insecurities. This mechanism was translated into a design concept, called VORM. VORM is a social game designed to strengthen the bond between a victim of sexual violence and her friend. The goal of VORM is to meet each other in the middle, by building a bridge towards each other. Players can get closer to each other by asking questions about insecurities and sharing their truths. The elements of the game provide the input for the questions and building the bridge. VORM was validated through user testing of the usability, desirability, effectiveness and sustainability of the game. Experts evaluated the target group fit, accessibility and placement in the care process. The conclusion is that VORM facilitates the sharing of insecurities in a playful way, strengthening the bond between players. Experts see a role for VORM in the care process and some participants expressed strong buying interest. Further research is required to map (the size) of the target group and consequent market opportunities.