Technological Innovation Blueprint Regarding Sexual Assault: Understanding Underreporting Might be for the Better

Winner of the Navari Center for Digital Scholarship, University of Notre Dame Library Research Award, 2025.This undergraduate research paper by Gaspar Larrain proposes a blueprint for applying user-centered technological innovation to improve sexual assault reporting systems on college campuses. Focusing on the shortcomings of current Title IX reporting tools and institutional practices, the paper argues that innovation should prioritize victim wellbeing through empathetic design, rather than technical functionality alone. It explores the barriers to reporting, such as administrative bias, fear of retraumatization, and distrust in systems, and recommends development practices that emphasize transparency, contextual usability, and human-centered design to meaningfully support survivors.

该本科研究论文荣获2025年圣母大学（University of Notre Dame）图书馆Navari数字学术中心研究奖。作者加斯帕·拉腊因（Gaspar Larrain）的这篇论文提出，可通过以用户为中心的技术创新来完善大学校园性侵报案系统，并就此给出了一套方案蓝图。该论文聚焦当前《教育修正案第九章》（Title IX）报案工具及院校实操的诸多缺陷，主张创新应优先通过共情式设计保障受害者福祉，而非仅侧重技术功能本身。文中探讨了性侵报案面临的多重障碍，包括行政偏见、对二次创伤的恐惧以及对相关体系的不信任，并建议研发过程应强调透明度、场景化可用性与以人为中心的设计，以切实为性侵幸存者提供有意义的支持。