With context to violence, whether it is domestic or at the workplace, many public service organizations are considering "Live Chat" as the most secure way to communicate with victims and survivors. Live chat solutions can help violence victims register their complaints who feel unsafe while talking on the phone or those with little or no functional hearing.
Governments and their agencies around the world are striving hard to prevent violence against every citizen and ensure their safety. For that purpose, they have chosen to be early adopters of this technology that can help them in preventing abusers and assailants from breaking laws pertaining to violence in homes and workplaces.
Let's understand how several Governments are applying online chat services to prevent future violence.
The News:
- Domestic abuse is estimated to have affected 27% of ever-partnered women in the world between the ages of 15 and 49.
- Worldwide, violence against women adversely impacts low- and lower-middle-income countries and areas.
- Every 11 minutes, a female is killed by someone in her own family.
- According to estimates by the WHO, around one in three (30%) women worldwide have experienced physical relationship abuse or non-partner sexual violence in their lives.
- It is estimated that up to 10 million children are victims of child sexual exploitation.
- Up to 38% of all female murders worldwide are carried out by intimate partners, the majority of whom are men.
- More than 20,000 violence victims reached out to the Rent Assistance Program hotline run by the Connecticut Coalition through chat, phone, text, or email in 2021.
- As the average waiting time for live chat support is 36 seconds, it has become the most preferred way to contact help centers for victims.
- According to a UN Population Fund assessment, the Covid-19 lockdowns at the beginning of 2020 led to an estimated 20% spike in domestic violence incidents among the 193 UN member states.
About the Launch of Family Violence Online Complaint Tools
- The New Zealand Government has launched a suite of digital tools that will help citizens seek assistance in case of family violence issues. These tools and online chat services will be accessible 24/7, which would make support more accessible and modern. Below are the details of the launch:
- After receiving $4 million from the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, the tools were officially introduced on October 4th, 2022, by Associate Social Development Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Marama Davidson.
- Building on the "It's Not Okay" campaign, a website called "Are You Okay" concentrates on providing assistance for survivors and victims of family violence, along with a relationship assessment tool and a service discovery tool.
- "In Your Hands" is a similar website that was launched to provide information and assistance to people who may have used violence access information and support to change their behavior.
All these tools that include 24/7 online chat service and websites have been developed in direct collaboration with the family violence sector to guarantee that the tools will best serve the communities. It is a huge advancement for the national effort to end domestic and sexual violence.
How did we get here?
Why is Launching an Online Chat Service Highly Significant to Avoid Violence?
Lack of an Outlet to Register Complaints Conveniently
The traditional practice for registering domestic violence complaints implies firing an FIR by visiting the nearest police station. This option is often not convenient for victims looking for help without the support of their friends or family. The process of filing a complaint generally comprises frequent visits to the Police station, which is one reason people do not consider seeking help at all.
Increase in Domestic Violence During Covid-19
Emerging evidence and reports from people on the front lines indicate that all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, have increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to quarantine, survivors had limited access to support services and little knowledge of the available services. This has prompted governments to develop a way of registering complaints and providing support services online.
Non-Availability of Around-the-Clock FIR Services
The physical process of filing complaints or reaching out for help to NGOs has quite a few limitations. It is also not feasible for people to reach out to authorities using this traditional approach when they need immediate assistance during odd hours of the day. Thus, increasing the amount of support available online will improve accessibility for taking the initial steps to receive support. Integrating help desk software can help in building an autonomous ticketing system that allows people to record their complaints seamlessly.
Easy and Anonymous Option to Seek Support
Many times, survivors look for support but do not wish to reveal their identity, which is a major concern while registering complaints offline. Online chat services enable governments to create a safe outlet for providing support. By making it simple for people to reach out for support, cycles of violence can be successfully interrupted.
Benefits of Online Chat Support Service
Reduced Support Costs
Customer service software with live chat features has proven to be far less expensive than phone assistance, as the majority of live chat operators can manage three or more chats at once on average with the right training. Also, modern live chat tools are equipped with a feature known as chat concurrency. It allows even a small number of live chat agents to handle multiple chats without any flaws, saving a significant amount on staff expenditures.
Discover Common Pain Points
It might be challenging to understand people's problems when using traditional support methods like email or phone conversations because they might only be heard or seen by one team or person. However, administrators and supervisors may immediately identify client trouble points by sorting, searching, and filtering through all chat histories in live chat, which are accessible to them and can be used for a variety of purposes.
Data Insights and Reports
You can access a variety of bespoke reports as well as each agent's conversation histories when using a high-quality live chat provider. You may monitor how many visitors your website receives, how many chat requests are acknowledged or overlooked, and a variety of other visitor metrics with access to this type of data, which can help in more effectively implementing techniques to improve support services.
Provides 24/7 Support
24/7 assistance can be provided by integrating chatbots to live chat solutions. Extending the instant availability to encompass the entire day enables more people to come forward to seek assistance without worrying that their inquiries will go unanswered. The availability of support for individuals in need, wherever they are and whenever they need it, will increase, thanks to the collection of digital resources. Many public service organizations have started using Call center software equipped with live chat features, helping them connect with users promptly and provide victims with timely assistance.
Faster Problem Resolution
The digital tools developed by governments are a significant step for 'Te Aorerekura' - a strategy launched by Newzealand Government to eliminate family and sexual violence. The online chat service is an important tool for communities to help people recognize and respond to family violence quickly.
Additionally, the use of screen-sharing and co-browsing tools makes it possible to swiftly and effectively resolve even the most difficult problems. These features drastically diminish the amount of time it takes for governments to respond to inquiries.
What's Next?
Violence has a negative impact on a survivor's overall well-being and keeps them from contributing fully to society. It has an effect on their families, their neighborhoods, and the nation as a whole. It has high costs, including diminished production, increased demands on the health care system, and litigation fees.
155 nations have domestic abuse laws in place, while 140 have laws against workplace sexual harassment. However, difficulties persist in enforcing these laws, limiting the access of women and girls to protection and justice. Violence is frequently not penalized when it occurs, and not enough has been done to stop it. Also, the lack of immediate support and the ability to file anonymous complaints has led a lot of survivors to take a step back from seeking legal help.
Thus, the introduction of digital chat services is a legitimate step for encouraging people to seek support whenever they require it, without having to leave their homes and go for in-person reporting. This suite of digital tools can be best combined with call tracking software, bridging the gap between victims and assistants, preventing call drops, and enabling quick help.
