For years Japanese women have endured being groped while in large crowds. Packed commuter trains are notorious prowling areas for men who feel the need to sexually assault random women. According to Tokyo police, 1853 men were arrested for groping passengers on Tokyo trains in 2005. But the harassment on trains is thought to be much higher because many women are too embarrassed to report sexual assault.
To combat this activity, games developer Takahashi released Anti-Groping Appli. If a woman thinks she has been groped, she can use the application to give a message to the perceived offender. The application flashes increasingly threatening messages in bold print on the phone’s screen to show the groper. Phrases include, “Excuse me, did you just grope me?” “Groping is a crime,” and “Shall we head to the police?”
Anti-Groping Appli has gained in popularity and reached No.7 in this week’s top-10 mobile phone applications list compiled by Web publisher Spicy Soft.
“I first downloaded this as a joke,” said Spicy Soft official Michika Izumi. “But I think it could be a lifesaver if I get groped.”
Usually we speak to our mobile phones but this is an instance where mobile phones speak for us. And in this case they speak to protect women from being sexually assaulted.
how would this message be sent? I suppose the offender would also need to have this application installed… right?
Comment by vigilantee — October 24, 2007 @ 7:15 am
If a woman thinks she is being groped, she holds up her phone for the offender to read. Some people are shy and in Japan women are often too embarresed to confront gropers verbally. Commuter trains are loud so everyone in the area would hear the complaint.
Comment by John Kullman — October 24, 2007 @ 7:53 am
Not sure if this would be effective at all. The device has to send a message to the police i case the groper harasses japenese women
Comment by anuj — October 24, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
Posting and charging police officers in the train or related stops may be more effective instead of requestivng a help from cell phone. If a groper intends to do so, such an application may not be helpful enough.
Comment by Husnu Alparslan — October 29, 2007 @ 1:34 am