JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Personal safety is a prevalent public health issue common to all demographics. There is growing interest in the use of mobile apps for enhancing personal safety, particularly for children and youth at risk, who are among the most vulnerable groups in society.

Objective:

This study aims to explore what is known about the use of mobile apps for personal safety among children and youth identified to be “at risk”.

Methods:

A scoping review following published methodological guidelines was conducted. Four databases (Scopus, SocIndex, PsycInfo, and Engineering Village) were searched for relevant scholarly articles published between January 2005 and October 2023. The gray literature was also searched using Google and Google Scholar search engines. The results were reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). For summarizing the features and users’ experience of the apps, a published framework for evaluating the quality of mHealth Apps for youths was employed.

Results:

1,986 articles were identified, of which 41 were included in the review. Among the included articles, nine personal safety apps were captured, which were categorized into 4 groups based on the goals of the apps as follows: dating/sexual violence prevention (4 apps); bullying/school violence prevention app (2 apps), self-harm/suicide prevention (2 apps), and homeless youth support (1 app). Twenty-five articles provided data solely on app description and features, while the remaining 16 articles provided data on app evaluations. Outcomes, which were mostly self-reported, focused on app engagement, users’ experiences, and effectiveness of the apps. Four articles covering 3 app categories reported on apps use, 3 of which reported relatively high app engagement based on app download, use of features, and/or completion of modules. Data on users’ experience were obtained from 13 studies, which covered all 4 app categories. Across studies, the duration of app use ranged from 20 – 40 minutes to 12 months. In general, participants found the app features to be easy to use and useful as educational resources and personal safety tools. While most of the views were positive, some were negative. Negative perceptions included redundancy of app features, limited context for use, and lack of usefulness. All 5 apps evaluated for effectiveness (2 dating/sexual violence prevention, 2 self-harm/suicide prevention, and 1 bullying/school violence prevention app) were associated with a statistically significant reduction in harm or risk to participants.

Conclusions:

The evidence suggests that mobile safety apps generally appear to be beneficial for reducing harm to at-risk children and youth without any associated adverse events. Recommendations for future research to improve upon the current state of evidence and availability of effective personal safety apps for children and youth have been made.