DEVELOPMENT OF DATA VISUALIZATION TOOLS TO FACILITATE INTERPRETATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT IN CASES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN MEXICO
V. González-Meneses, V. Menéndez, R. Peña-Castillo, M.E. Castellanos
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a critical social issue affecting numerous children worldwide, and Mexico faces significant challenges in addressing this problem. In the state of Yucatán, Mexico, the high incidence of these crimes is often linked to the lack of comprehensive sexual education for children. Additionally, these abusive situations frequently involve individuals close to the victim, making it difficult for the child to report the abuse.
Given the sensitive nature of CSA cases, it is essential to involve trained professionals, such as psychologists, to provide appropriate support. To address this need, the "Friendly Courts" platform was developed. This digital tool aims to facilitate access to sexual abuse prevention information for minors, helping them understand the reporting process, its participants, and relevant concepts in an engaging and accessible manner.
The platform educates children about the judicial process involved in filing a complaint and raises awareness about personal boundaries. However, the extensive data collection required for each child's case introduces complexity in data interpretation for the psychologists involved. This research proposes developing data visualisation tools to aid psychologists in interpreting and assessing risk using the "Friendly Courts" platform.
These tools are designed to offer visual interaction with the collected data, enabling psychologists to analyse the information optimally through various graphical elements. This approach aims to enhance the understanding and interpretation of the data collected throughout the platform's use.
The research hypothesis suggests that developing and using data visualisation tools can improve the interpretation and risk assessment of CSA cases in Yucatán. By providing clear and comprehensible graphical representations of relevant information, these tools facilitate better decision-making. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of these tools in enhancing the efficiency and efficacy of the support process for children affected by CSA.
Specific objectives include identifying the most suitable data visualisation tools, developing a set of interactive tools that clearly and comprehensibly represent information, evaluating the tools' effectiveness based on the performance of professionals using them, analysing professionals' perceptions of the tools' utility and ease of use, and proposing recommendations for their effective implementation and use.
This research contributes to the field of data analysis and visualisation by creating tools that simplify the interpretation and understanding of information collected through the "Friendly Courts" platform. The interactive data visualisation tools developed using technologies like JavaScript, Plotly, and React JS, aim to assist psychologists in efficiently analysing and visualising data, ultimately improving decision-making and case management for CSA cases in Yucatan.
Keywords: Child sexual abuse, Data visualisation, Friendly Courts, characterisation.