ASU professor creates app to help women deal with domestic violence

TEMPE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - It's what many experts call "The Quiet Epidemic."

The fact that about one-third of American women have experienced domestic violence in their lives, with many of them having those first experiences in college.

"Of women who've experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes, almost half have had their experiences between the ages of 18 and 34," Jill Messing said.

Jill Messing is an associate professor at Arizona State University's School of Social Work and she's found a way to help.

In partnership with her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, she created an app called "My Plan." It's a multi-layer tool that provides educational information about domestic violence myths, healthy relationships, and red flags. It then takes the information and comes up with your plan.

"The last section takes information about those relationship red flags, the danger that's present in their relationship, and also their priorities and put them together into a personalized safety plan," Messing said. "And that will give them immediate safety information so the users can take steps to keep them safe."

Steps that are suggestions and everything stays anonymous. You can even change your information based on your relationship, and your safety plan will change as well.

It connects you to community resources if you choose and modernizes a way to get help for young women.

For more information on the "My Plan" app, click here.