Preventing Violence Against Women through the Digital Media: Reflections on the Role and the User Interface Designs of Mobile Applications

The study of the relationship between the media and gender-based violence has revealed a potential risk: the media system may contribute to the legitimisation of gender stereotypes, which are the underlying causes of gender discrimination and male violence against women (Suárez-Villegas, 2020). This study examines the representation of violence against women in television advertisements. The findings of international studies indicate that media coverage of this issue tends to frame violence against women in two mutually reinforcing ways: victim blaming and perpetrator excusing (Lamb, 1996; Nettleton, 2011; Taylor, 2020). This paper presents a further development of research on narrative strategies and gender roles in institutional communication on gender-based violence (Lombardi, 2023). This study compares the digital communication strategies of the Italian government and other private organisations in relation to violence against women. The study examines digital tools and platforms for the prevention of gender-based violence, with a particular focus on mobile apps (Eisenhut et al., 2019). A systematic search was conducted on two app distribution platforms (App Store and Google Play) with the objective of identifying available apps and collecting descriptive information on these tools. This information included details on the owners, target audience, functions, conditions of use, dissemination, and user interface design development, including registration and entry, everyday use, and suspension (Light, Burgess, Duguay, 2016). The findings permit a comparison of the Italian government’s utilisation of digital platforms with those of private entities. They may indicate the potential for extending novel communication modalities to institutions and offer the opportunity to evaluate the risks to privacy posed by these platforms in addressing gender-based violence.