"Consent is good, joyous, sexy": A banner campaign to market consent to college students.

Social marketing campaigns can be promising tools in engaging college students in sexual assault prevention.

Summary: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a banner campaign to promote consent among college students. The main message of this campaign was that consent is necessary and positive. A random sample of 1200 undergraduate students completed an online survey, which asked students if they remembered seeing the banners on campus, and whether their reactions to them were positive or negative. All participants, both those who had and had not seen the banners on campus, were shown randomized images of one of the five banners and asked whether they liked it or not and what stood out about these images. The results of the study found that most students had positive reactions to the banners. Overall, students attributed their positive reactions to the banners being colorful, attention-calling and having a slightly provocative message. However, it is important to note that some students did not like the banners for the same reasons. Another finding was that seeing the banners sparked some activity among students; the most common activity was talking to a friend about the general topic of sexual assault. The results may inform social marketing campaigns on college campuses, specifically those involving messaging surrounding consent.

Application/Evaluation: The study did not evaluate the effectiveness of a health program or strategy.

Limitations: While the study sample was representative of one private university on the east coast, it may not be generalizable to other university or community settings.

 

Author: 
Thomas, K. A., Sorenson, S. B., & Joshi, M.
Start Page: 
639
End Page: 
650
Journal/Periodical Name: 
Journal of American College Health
Volume: 
64
Publication Date: 
2016