Many of the apps that focus on abuse are aimed specifically at teens or college students. These apps hope to address teen dating abuse and sexual assault on campuses, both which are occurring at alarming rates. 

According to Break the Cycle, 1 in 3 teens is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner; a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence. At the same time, only about one-third of teens ever report the abuse to anyone. A Washington Post- Kaiser Family Foundation Study found that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 college men are targets of attempted or completed sexual assault while they are college students.

As a result, it is not surprising that app developers and organizations have been developing apps that try to reach this audience in various ways.  Some apps are effective as educational, awareness raising tools, while others try to help keep a victim safer.  Although many apps can be helpful and informative, keep in mind that some apps may make accessing help more complicated than needed or the information provided be insufficient. 

Below are some apps developed specifically for teens and college students.

For information on using apps in high school or college classes for awareness building, read our Considerations for Choosing and Using Awareness Apps. 

For more information on teen dating violence and domestic and sexual assault on college campuses, see the following resources: