Using a Multimedia Social Marketing Campaign to Increase Active Bystanders on the College Campus

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the campus-wide administration of the Know Your Power bystander-oriented social marketing campaign. Participants: Undergraduate students at a public college were invited to participate in a public awareness survey before and after the 6-week campaign administration in February and March 2009. Methods: Pretest and posttests were administered (N = 353) to examine if exposure to the campaign changed students’ stage of scale scores. Results: Exposure to the social marketing campaign increased participants’ awareness of their role in reducing sexual and relationship violence and stalking, increased their expressed willingness to get involved in reducing the incidence these types of violence, and resulted in participants being more likely to report having taken action to reduce these types of violence. Conclusions: As college students explore their role as community members, it is an opportunity for college educators to design and administer prevention messages highlighting behavioral norms to be explored and adopted.

Keywords:

• active bystander
• community health
• sexual and relationship abuse
• social marketing
• stalking

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Preparation of this article was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by grant number 5 R01 CE001388-02 (principal investigator: V. L. Banyard). The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.