The impact of a media campaign on public action to help maltreated children in addictive families

Abstract

Developed because of the need to promote public understanding of the link between addictions and child maltreatment, a multimedia campaign helped to increase by 62% the average monthly number of people who called a telephone service for information about how to aid abused and neglected children. The campaign was supported by market research and professional experience that indicated the campaign should focus on easy action a citizen could take, avoid inducing fear or blame, and target third party helpers and younger families-at-risk. Campaign exposure was promoted through the support of corporate partners. A random household survey found that 61% of the general population had seen or heard the campaign slogan. The average monthly calls to the child maltreatment information service regarding alcohol and other drug abuse tripled and the requests regarding at-risk children almost doubled. An auxiliary project provided interprofessional education to increase the probability that people seeking help would get it when referrals were made. The project yielded several lessons for future public awareness campaigns: focus on helping action rather than the problem; use of client-based market research; a strategic plan to assure necessary exposure; reliance on public-private-nonprofit sector partnerships; preparation of the service system; promotion of personal ways of helping.