ASK (Assault. Services. Knowledge.) is a website and downloadable app for iPhone and Android smartphones that provides users with community-specific sexual assault, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence resources in one place.

ASK brings together victim service providers, public officials, the medical community, law enforcement, violence prevention experts, and advocates within a community to offer response resources for victims of violence, as well as bystander intervention tools and resources. UASK (University Assault. Services. Knowledge.) centralizes campus-specific resources in the event of sexual violence. 

ASK and UASK can be used by anyone to direct a friend, family member, roommate, classmate or colleague who may have experienced violence to the help they need. The campaign can be tailored to meet the specific needs of any community; and it can serve as a platform for strengthening communication and collaboration amongst stakeholders.

This first-of-its-kind website and mobile application offers before, during, and after resources and is confidential, safe, and for everyone.

What are the ASK Apps?

• The ASK Apps, available for users in five locations across the country, are the first and only user-friendly mobile apps that include all the help and resources a victim of sexual assault or dating violence – or the friend of a victim –  might need, including brand new features like the ability to share your GPS location instantly with select friends on your personalized, emergency ASK Contact List, and a panic button that quickly dials 9-1-1.
• Launched in 2012 in Washington DC, the original ASK DC App, has also been expanded and adapted to serve even more communities, including a campus-specific version called U ASK DC (University ASK) that brings together the resources at all eight university campuses in DC; Duke University (UASK Duke); statewide editions for Connecticut (ASK CT), North Dakota (ASK ND), and Arizona (ASK AZ); and ASK DC editions in the following eight languages: Amharic, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Who should download an ASK App?

• Downloading an ASK App is a safety precaution that everyone in participating locations should take. No one expects to be assaulted, or to know someone who is a victim, but with the ASK App you can be prepared to get quick, confidential help for yourself or a friend, right from your smartphone. The ASK App is a helpful resource for anyone:
• Living in one of the participating locations where ASK Apps are available: Washington DC, Durham, NC (Duke University), Connecticut, North Dakota, or Arizona.
• Regardless of your relationship status – whether you’re single, dating, “it’s complicated,” or in a committed relationship – the ASK App can help you and your loved ones stay connected to life-saving resources.
• Especially before a night on the town, a party with friends, or a date night – be prepared wherever you are by downloading the ASK App before you leave home.
• Remember, the ASK Apps are not just for assault victims. They can be used by anyone to direct a friend, family member, or a colleague who may have experienced sexual assault to the help they need.

What is in the ASK Apps?

The ASK Apps contain a variety of resources for victims of sexual assault and dating or domestic violence, including:

• Send Your Location – Instantly send your GPS location to friends on your personalized, emergency contact list.
• Ask for Help – Quickly send pre-programmed texts to your personal ASK Contacts – like “Help, please come get me!” or “I’ve arrived safely,” along with your GPS location.
• Get Help Now – Press the panic button to immediately dial 9-1-1.
• Talk with Someone – Contact medical professionals, sexual assault support advocates, counselors, and local police, all available to provide 24/7 support.
• Get Help Locally – Get contact information for all the follow up services available to victims near you, from legal services to counseling and reporting resources for victims and their friends, including the deaf and hard-of-hearing, military personnel, college students, and multi-lingual services.
• Get Medical Help – Get directions by car and public transit, as well as options for taxis and free transportation to nearby hospitals. The App also gives advice on what to expect in a forensic exam, options to consider, and tips for friends and bystanders on how to support victims and more.

How to get the ASK App?
All six of the ASK Apps are confidential, free and available on iPhone and Android platforms. 

Testimonials 

• “The applications and website do a great job of letting survivors, bystanders, and community members know the resources that are available to them in their own community.” – NNEDV Tech Safety Review
  
  
•  “One of my overarching goals is to ensure that every District resident feels safe and protected in their community, regardless of where they live, their age, their religion, their ethnic background, their sexual orientation or their gender identity. ASK DC is a way to save lives and provide all of our residents and visitors with quick access to critical resources that can help address – and ultimately reduce – incidents of sexual assault and dating violence.” - Former DC Mayor, Vincent Gray
  
  
• “The ASK DC app will provide DC residents with a powerful tool that will help protect them from sexual assault and, if they have been victimized, provide them with fast and easy access to help and resources. OVSJG is proud to have funded the development the app and to have worked with Men Can Stop Rape in using new and innovative technologies to protect citizens and serve the needs of survivors.” -- Former Director of OVSJG, Edward Smith
  
  
• “Anyone can use this app. Every person with a smartphone either living in or visiting D.C. can become an active bystander by downloading the app and learning how to support a friend, family member or colleague who might need your help.” - Men Can Stop Rape Executive Director, Neil Irvin