What messages help prevent violence against children?
I’m really proud to have put together this study with old colleagues at Raising Voices and the Busara Center.
I’m not sure the full write-up is as clear as it might be, so to summarise: Raising Voices has used several different taglines in its media campaigns on preventing violence against children. To see which ones show the most promise, we tested them experimentally with 589 Kenyan respondents.
A message about people’s own actions — “What are you doing to prevent violence against children?” — was most likely to persuade people to ask the government to prioritise spending on preventing violence against children. It’s also easier to recall.
A message about people’s legacy — “What kind of footprint are you leaving in children’s lives?” — was most likely to persuade people to donate real money of their own towards this cause.
So, not one simple conclusion. Both those messages seem to be working OK — no disasters here. Perhaps the first is best for advocacy campaigns, and the second for fundraising?
They’re probably both better than a third message focused on education: “A Good School = A++ Better Life”. That’s a shame, since Raising Voices has been making the argument that violence, good schools and life prospects are all indelibly interlinked.
I’m really grateful to Busara for donating their experimental expertise, and glad that Raising Voices’ advocacy is growing ever-more rooted in tested, evidenced messages.
