New Men Can Stop Rape posters and military sexual trauma
The group Men Can Stop Rape posted some new media campaign posters on their website. The individuals who serve in our Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard are often placed in perilous situations and missions. They shouldn’t have to worry about military sexual trauma (MST), violence and harassment as well.*
I believe that the effectiveness of these two posters is through using the values of the military. Each branch of the armed services emphasizes duty, responsibility and teamwork in the armed services. You want your team to perform at full capacity which can’t happen if they have been traumatized, assaulted or are working in an unhealthy environment. I think a drawback of some media campaigns is that they are removed from their audience. Campaigns need to use the language and images of the group they are trying to reach.
So what do you think? Did they create a successful campaign to reach our troops? What should be changed?
The good news is the increased level of awareness and attention given to these issues. The VA is mandated to provide services to troops who experienced MST during active duty. WebMD includes a description of the issues and symptoms for patients and physicians. The reaction is well organized but now the focus is on prevention.
