Intimate partner violence and sexual assault are substantial public health problems in the United States. Both men and women are victims of intimate partner violence and sexual violence. However, women are much more likely than men to suffer physical, and probably psychological, injuries from intimate partner violence (IPV). In addition, women are more likely to be victims of sexual assault than men. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men has experienced an attempted or completed rape at some time in their lives.

Until recently, most communication on issues of sexual assault and intimate partner violence was directed at victims encouraging them to get help and providing them with means to get that help. These actions are designed to address the harm resulting from sexual and domestic violence and offer help to victims. While some acknowledge a need for preventing violence before it occurs in their missions, few have these kinds of services or communications as part of their agendas. The responsibility for change is placed on the individual, assuming they are motivated by compelling reasons to take action. PRR was hired to use a social marketing approach to research and develop and test messages that engage the public in addressing sexual assault and IPV. This process includes working with the target audiences to identify ways to change, reposition, or repackage domestic violence prevention products in a way that satisfies existing demand/needs among the target audience. Our approach includes a literature review and in-depth interviews with national leaders in the violence prevention field (tasks recently completed), as well as a series of focus groups (scheduled for March 2006) with target audiences to understand violence prevention from their perspective and inform the development of message concepts for further testing and eventual implementation.