Raising Awareness about Sexual Violence and Abuse
The Home Office has done various campaigns to raise awareness about Sexual Violence and Abuse.
Consent Campaign
We know from the Amnesty International report published in 2005 that many people believe the myth that some women who are raped “asked for it”, especially if they were provocatively dressed, were drunk, flirted with their rapist, or are known to have had a lot of sexual partners. In March 2006 the government launched a media campaign to challenge those myths and ask men to stop and think before they have sex so that they can ensure that it is genuinely consensual.
The campaign involved radio ads, which commenced on March 2006 with advertisements in magazines with predominantly young and male audiences, and in the gay press. Posters were also used in gent’s washrooms of pubs and clubs in urban areas.
To view the posters click here
Know Your Limits Campaign
The new alcohol ad campaign illustrates a series of different scenarios where young people, thinking they are ’superheroes’ while drunk, take risks with their health and safety, for example, falling off high scaffolding, walking home alone, running into a busy road, getting into fights and coming to serious harm. One of the scenarios depicts how people can become more vulnerable to sexual assault when they have been drinking.The joint Department of Health and the Home Office campaign primarily aims to encourage 18 to 24 year olds to drink responsibly and be aware of the possible serious consequences of drinking to excess.
However, the campaign is also designed to appeal to a slightly younger age group, which research suggests may already be drinking illegally. It is hoped that we may be able to influence their future drinking habits if messages are targeted to them earlier. Latest figures show that:
- 70 per cent of peak time A & E admissions are alcohol related
- One in three reported rapes happens when the victim has been drinking
- Around half of all violent crime is alcohol related
- Figures show that for 16 to 24 year olds in England, 33 per cent of men drank more than 8 units on at least one day and 24 per cent of women drank more than 6 units on at least one day.
- Younger people are likely to drink heavily – 48 per cent of males and 39 per cent of females aged 16 to 24 drink above the daily recommendations.
For more information please click here
You may also be interested in external campaigns to raise awareness about sexual violence (to note these sites are not controlled by us).
Truth about rape
This campaign was formed to challenge myths about rape, and bring the truth and realities of rape back onto the public agenda.
For more information please click here
Safer Travel at night
The Safer Travel at Night campaign is an ongoing awareness campaign involving the Greater London Authority (GLA), Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). It began in October 2002 with the launch of the poster campaign 'Know what you're getting into', which highlighted the dangers of using unlicensed cabs.
For more information please click here
Project Sapphire specialises in investigating rape and sexual assault cases and to provide victims with the support and care they need. Each borough has a dedicated Sapphire team which has specially trained officers to investigate rape and look after victims, ensuring they are provided with the information they need including the details for any partner agencies and kept up to date with any developments. Project Sapphire has helped to continually improve the services offered to victims and developed a corporate approach to tackling rape, which will be communicated to all staff.
For more information please click here
Last update: Thursday, May 29, 2008