WASHINGTON — There’s a free app available to help students at eight D.C. universities get the help they need in the event of a sexual assault.
“This really is the only app of its kind in the entire country,” said Rachel Friedman, deputy director of the D.C.-based advocacy group, Men Can Stop Rape.
The group has helped develop the app, thanks to funding from federal and D.C. governments.
The app is called U Ask. U Ask is an acronym for University Assault, Services, Knowledge.
It contains a wealth of information about resources that are available to assault victims. The app has been updated this school year to allow users to alert police and friends when help is needed.
“This new version includes interventions like the ability to immediately call 911, to send emergency notification messages to selected contacts with GPS location,” Friedman said.
The U Ask app is tailored for students attending American, Catholic, Gallaudet, Georgetown, George Washington, Howard, Trinity and the University of the District of Columbia.
“Under ‘Get Help on Campus,’ you can select your school and then find the information you need about your specific school,” Friedman said.
A general version of the app, dubbed “Ask D.C.,” is available to the general public.
