A helpline uses Snapchat to let teens talk about abuse

Photo credit: Leticia Bertin.

Heard of Snapchat, right? The fun messaging app that lets you share videos, pictures, and doodles with friends for up to 10 seconds? Well, it’s being put to deadly serious use in India.

Snap Counsellors, an account on the messaging app, is helping teens speak up about relationship abuse.

It was launched by three Indians last week. “We already have an average of eight people reaching out to us everyday. There are almost 200 people watching the stories we are broadcasting on Snapchat,” says Rajshekar Patil, the ad guy whose brainchild it is.

Raj is based in Mumbai. He joined hands with Avani Parekh and Nida Sheriff to create the Snapchat account.

The helpline hopes to tackle a widespread yet under-reported problem.

Relationship abuse or intimate partner abuse is common among Indian teens. But victims are scared to talk about it or message someone because partners often take the phone and email passwords to check on them.

And that’s why Snapchat’s self-destruct feature makes it ideal for a helpline.  All messages get deleted within 10 seconds.

Safe from prying eyes

Photo credit: Pabak Sarkar

Raj got the idea when someone introduced him to the app. In advertising, he saw brands trying to jump on to Snapchat all the time.

“I was amazed by how quickly the app had caught on with youngsters and how they had their own space here,” he tells Tech in Asia. It was also non-intrusive.

Plus, he’d heard several stories of relationship abuse from friends, which never really went anywhere. So, why not take the opportunity to create social innovation?

Combining counselling with technology

The potential of a Snapchat helpline