In a recent article appearing in The Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing researcher Jacquelyn C. Campbell reports that after conducting an extensive study of public awareness campaigns regarding high-profile health issues, she has found very few campaigns aimed at influencing public perceptions about intimate partner violence interventions and even fewer articles reporting research related to IPV public education campaigns.

However, Campbell, a professor in the Doctoral Program, finds that experts nationwide support the concept of public awareness campaigns to inform women at risk about ways of getting help, as well as to change public attitudes about the abuse that accounts for 22 percent of violent crimes against women.

Among the points Campbell cites for campaign effectiveness are directing it toward a specific population and matching messages to how ready people are to make changes; using messages directed at a behavior that is easily understood; supporting a campaign aimed at risk reduction behaviors with elements such as skills training, face-to-face communications, social support and interventions; and providing messages that are culturally relevant.

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