"What matters to someone who matters to me": using media campaigns with young people to prevent interpersonal violence and abuse.
While media campaigns are increasingly advocated as a strategy for preventing interpersonal violence and abuse, there is little evidence available regarding their effectiveness.



Consultation with experts and young people was used as part of a UK scoping review to capture current thinking and practice on the use of media campaigns to address interpersonal violence and abuse among young people. Three focus groups and 16 interviews were undertaken with UK and international experts, and three focus groups were held with young people.



Participants argued that, although campaigns initially needed to target whole populations of young people, subsequently, messages should be "granulated" for subgroups including young people already exposed to interpersonal violence and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people. It was suggested that boys, as the most likely perpetrators of interpersonal violence and abuse, should be the primary target for campaigns. Young people and experts emphasized that drama and narrative could be used to evoke an emotional response that assisted learning. Authenticity emerged as important for young people and could be achieved by delivering messages through familiar characters and relevant stories. Involving young people themselves in creating and delivering campaigns strengthened authenticity.



Practice is developing rapidly, and robust research is required to identify the key conditions for effective campaigns in this field. The emotional impact of campaigns in this field appears to be as important as the transmission of learning.
School of Social Work, Care and Community, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Nicky
N
Stanley
Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Jane
J
Ellis
School of Social Work, Care and Community, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Nicola
N
Farrelly
School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Sandra
S
Hollinghurst
School of Social Work, Care and Community, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Sue
S
Bailey
School of Health, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Soo
S
Downe
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D006113:United Kingdom; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*
interpersonal violence and abuse; media campaigns; violence prevention; young people 