  Data sonification is a means of representing data through sound and has been
utilized in a variety of applications. Crime against women has been a rising
concern in India. We explore the potential of data sonification to provide an
immersive engagement with sensitive data on crime against women in Indian
states. The data for nine crime categories covering thirty-five Indian states
over a period of twelve years is acquired from National records. Sonification
techniques of parameter mapping and auditory icons are adopted: sound
parameters such as frequencies, amplitudes and timbres are incorporated to
represent the crime data, and audio sounds of women screams are employed as
auditory icons to emphasize the traumatic experience. Higher crime rates are
assigned higher frequencies, harsher scream textures and larger amplitudes. A
user-friendly interface is developed with multiple options for sequential and
comparative data sonification. Through the interface, a user can evaluate and
compare the extent of crime against women in different states, years or crime
categories. Sound spatialization is used to immerse the listener in the sound
and further intensify the sonification experience. To assess and validate
effectiveness, a user study on twenty participants is conducted with feedback
obtained through questionnaires. The responses indicate that the participants
could comprehend trends in the data easily and found the data sonification
experience impactful. Sonification may therefore prove to be a valuable tool
for data representation in fields related to social and human studies.
