“Don't Suffer in Silence” — Applying the Integrated Model for Social Marketers to Campaigns Targeting Victims of Domestic Violence

Abstract

We conducted a review and analysis of multicomponent social marketing campaigns targeting victims of domestic violence, which were gathered from a variety of websites in five English-speaking countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. We examined the degree to which these campaigns conform to the Integrated Model for Social Marketers developed by Cismaru, Lavack, Hadjistavropoulos, and Dorsch (2008). This model describes the variables salient in each stage of behavioral change and provides a description of the most effective strategies for persuasion. Key recommendations for enhancing future initiatives targeting victims of domestic violence suggest that it is important to emphasize the benefits of changing, as well as to convince victims of domestic violence that they can improve their lives.