The goal of a harassment map is to simply visualize the places where people report having experienced some sort of harassment. Harassment maps also provide an outlet for victims to share their stories and provide an engaging format for others to read them. The impacts can be profound.
You might not realize it, but harassment takes place in your favorite quiet park, your favorite street, and your local hangout spot. Being able to see these incidents on a map, and read what happened can be eye opening.
Making a contribution to a harassment map.
You can use canvis to create a simple but effective harassment map for your community with just a few components.
On the landing page, introduce the aims and audience for the project, and note which organizations are involved.
Insert a mapping page with one or more collaborative layers. You can categorize by type (for example, "verbal harassment"), or have one layer for all types of harassment.
Simple survey questions for each layer.
Some good prompts and questions for each layer might be: "Describe the incident in more detail", "How did you feel after the incident?" - " What action should be taken to prevent this? Who should take action?"
A Content Page with some follow up survey questions.
Finally a conclusion page with resources for getting help and support, law enforcement, and connecting with local organizations.
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Follow up questions for a reported incident.
<aside> 📖 Check out these pages to learn more about each component in detail Pages and Page Types Survey Forms Map Layers
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Harassment maps are not accurate statistical representations of crime, due to their anonymous nature. This anonymity is key for gathering reports in a safe manner. Despite this, they can be far more tangible and impactful than charts and statistics.
Some of the stories can be harrowing and tough to digest, but they paint a picture of the reality of our cities and neighborhoods that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. They serve as a powerful resource, even for those who have never been victimized themselves, and can help inform public policy and public safety measures.
Most importantly they can help build support for your local social justice and human rights movements.
👍🏾 Provide links to resources for help, therapy, and law enforcement.
👍🏾 Partner up with local interest groups and organizations working on social justice and human rights.
👍🏾 Set a clear a time frame for your project. Open ended harassment maps tend to lose traction and effectiveness after a while.
👍🏾 Emphasize anonymity and the aims of the project. Be clear that you are not law enforcement. What will you do with the results? How will this map help create change?
👎🏾 Do not ask for any personal information about the perpetrators or victims.
👎🏾 Do not allow any personal identifying information to be posted.
👎🏾 Do not allow the map to go unmoderated. Pay close attention to every submission, and delete inappropriate posts.
<aside> 🔗 [Canvis.app Knowledge Base](https://canvis.notion.site/Canvis-app-Knowledge-Base-e4b5959a49334b9d84c8b34e3ea2c1ea) Start now, for free at canvis.app. Follow us on linkedin or twitter
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