Inspiration
Recent incidences of spiking in Edinburgh, in addition to repeated reports of sexual harassment in some university society events, inspired us to think about the potential contributions of technology in addressing these issues. While sexual assault has always been a prevalent problem, the recent growth in social awareness has left a gap between conversations and effective action. There is an unmet need for people’s voices to be heard in a safe and accessible way, but also for organisations to be able to provide a space for their employees to report sensitive issues. This app provides an intuitive, anonymous and systematic means to close the gap between conversation and action. This issue of sexual harassment concerns us all; it is important that we recognise that this is our social responsibility.
Project information
Team name: beepboop9000 Challenge chosen: Bloomberg's social responsibility application
What it does
This app makes it easy for members of organisations to anonymously report incidents of sexual harassment/assault. Organisation leaders can register to use this app, giving their members an easily accessible platform. It also allows users to browse registered organisations, and see the total amount of incidents reported, allowing people to make more informed choices about the spaces they choose to inhabit.
How we built it
We built this app using Python's Django framework, and the CSS framework Bootstrap v5 for the front-end. The project has three main apps. The register app allows organisations to register to be a part of the platform, storing their data in a database. The report app where users can report incidents to a list of registered organisations. And lastly, the view app displays the registered organisations, along with the number of incidents reported. The app is hosted by PythonAnywhere.
Challenges we ran into
We ran into one major technical issue with a git merge conflict that took many hours to resolve.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We managed to get the front-end working with the back-end database in the way we hoped it would. We also did not expect to have to app fully deployed and hosted publically by the end of the hackathon.
What we learned
On the technical front, we learnt that we should not track databases with git. We also realised relatively early on that it would be important to prioritise our requirements - since there will always be more functionality to add, we learned and practised as we went how to identify the key parts of the app, and to focus on those. We also found that pair programming was especially helpful when we were troubleshooting a problem, or brainstorming how to implement a requirement. We also spent some time learning about and considering the ethical implications of this app, for example what kinds of questions are relevant in incident reports.
What's next for Safer Spaces
There are many additional features that would improve this app. For example organisations should be verified before they can register on the platform. An email functionality can also be added, so that organisations are emailed every time an incident is reported.
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