The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70601

Alida Knuth¹, Rita Noonan, PhD¹, Erika Reed-Gross, MHS², Leslie Brenowitz³, and Tara J. Balsley¹. (1) National Center for Injury Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mailstop K60, Atlanta, GA 30341, (2) Westat, 2971 Flowers Road South, Oglethorpe Building, Suite 180, Atlanta, GA 30341, (3) Porter Novelli, 1909 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006

CDC has identified violence against women, including intimate partner violence and sexual violence, as a significant and costly public health issue. Estimates from the National Violence Against Women Survey suggest that approximately 1.9 million women are physically assaulted each year in the U.S., and 1 out of 6 U.S. women have been victims of a completed or attempted rape. CDC is exploring a social norms approach to preventing violence against women with formative research and the development of a national communication plan. Social norms are perceived standards that define the boundaries of behavior within a society or peer group. They dictate a sense of what is normal, natural, expected, and acceptable in given contexts. CDC’s social norms communication campaign aims to change the social norms that are supportive of violence against women and correct misperceptions of what peers find normal or acceptable so that violent behaviors are seen as inappropriate. Formative research, including a literature review, interviews with prevention experts and an environmental scan, led CDC to target 6th, 7th and 8th grade males and females (ages 11-14) as the primary audience for the campaign. The intent is to reach this audience with prevention messages before norms and attitudes that support violence against women are firmly established. Findings from the formative research will be presented as well as plans for implementation and evaluation of the communication campaign.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to
• describe a social norms approach to preventing violence against women and
• list the factors that led to the selection of a target audience for a social norms communication campaign.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Violence Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.