Don't Be That Guy campaign launches in Calgary
It's a hard-hitting behavioural marketing campaign that's bound to get people talking, and that's exactly what members of SAV Calgary (Sexual Assault Voices of Calgary) are hoping for.
The campaign features some powerful language and graphics, with the goal of raising public awareness of alcohol-related sexual assaults, while holding offenders accountable for their behaviours.
Historically, sexual assault campaigns have been aimed at women, offering advice on how to protect themselves from becoming a victim of this crime. This campaign is unique in that it targets the actions of the offender - not the behaviours of the victim - recognizing it is the offenders themselves who are responsible for changing their behaviours.
The ads are bold and graphic, and are intended to hit home with their target audience: men between the ages of 18 to 24.
The message is clear: someone who is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs cannot give consent, and sex without consent is sexual assault.
"You can no longer hide behind the mistaken belief that it's OK to use drugs or alcohol or to think because a woman did not give you a no answer that it means yes. It's not acceptable," says police Chief Rick Hanson.
"If they think they can get away with it, they're wrong," he added.
In 2010, 62 per cent of sexual assaults investigated by the Calgary Police Service's Sex Crimes Unit involved a victim who was incapacitated by alcohol or drugs. However, officials know there are many more cases that are not reported to police partly due to the blame culture surrounding sexual assault victims.
"It is important to recognize that, even though we may not always agree with how someone dresses or the behaviours that they partake in, all individuals deserve safety and security in their communities and their homes," says Danielle Aubry, Executive Director at Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse.
Ultimately, it is the offender and the offender alone who chooses to commit a sexual assault.
Joe Campbell, a youth engagement project specialist with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse and a Mount Royal University student, says this campaign gives men an opportunity to speak out on the issue and become part of the solution.
"We all have a stake in ending violence against women," he says. "We all have women in our lives who we love, care about."
Posters will be displayed in bars and clubs, LRT platforms, inside buses and CTrains, as well as inside some schools and universities to encourage men not to be "that guy."
A website (www.savcalgary.ca) has also been developed to provide additional information to support the campaign. (OP: Posters may be triggering)
The campaign echoes one launched in Edmonton in November 2010. SAV Calgary would like to thank SAVEdmonton for sharing its campaign materials.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
SOURCE
The campaign features some powerful language and graphics, with the goal of raising public awareness of alcohol-related sexual assaults, while holding offenders accountable for their behaviours.
Historically, sexual assault campaigns have been aimed at women, offering advice on how to protect themselves from becoming a victim of this crime. This campaign is unique in that it targets the actions of the offender - not the behaviours of the victim - recognizing it is the offenders themselves who are responsible for changing their behaviours.
The ads are bold and graphic, and are intended to hit home with their target audience: men between the ages of 18 to 24.
The message is clear: someone who is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs cannot give consent, and sex without consent is sexual assault.
"You can no longer hide behind the mistaken belief that it's OK to use drugs or alcohol or to think because a woman did not give you a no answer that it means yes. It's not acceptable," says police Chief Rick Hanson.
"If they think they can get away with it, they're wrong," he added.
In 2010, 62 per cent of sexual assaults investigated by the Calgary Police Service's Sex Crimes Unit involved a victim who was incapacitated by alcohol or drugs. However, officials know there are many more cases that are not reported to police partly due to the blame culture surrounding sexual assault victims.
"It is important to recognize that, even though we may not always agree with how someone dresses or the behaviours that they partake in, all individuals deserve safety and security in their communities and their homes," says Danielle Aubry, Executive Director at Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse.
Ultimately, it is the offender and the offender alone who chooses to commit a sexual assault.
Joe Campbell, a youth engagement project specialist with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse and a Mount Royal University student, says this campaign gives men an opportunity to speak out on the issue and become part of the solution.
"We all have a stake in ending violence against women," he says. "We all have women in our lives who we love, care about."
Posters will be displayed in bars and clubs, LRT platforms, inside buses and CTrains, as well as inside some schools and universities to encourage men not to be "that guy."
A website (www.savcalgary.ca) has also been developed to provide additional information to support the campaign. (OP: Posters may be triggering)
The campaign echoes one launched in Edmonton in November 2010. SAV Calgary would like to thank SAVEdmonton for sharing its campaign materials.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
SOURCE