2007 Public Awareness Campaign

Two-thirds of Americans do not know how to recognize the signs of domestic violence, yet seven in 10 would take action if they did. These findings, released in a fall 2006 national study by Redbook magazine and Liz Claiborne Inc., inspired Safe Horizon's 2007 campaign.

This integrated, multifaceted campaign focused attention on the impact that violence and abuse have on teens and young women and shared information about lifesaving resources and services available throughout the nation. North Fork Bank, now Capital One Bank, helped extend this campaign to address the impact of violence and abuse on children. In all, over 400 million media impressions were generated.

Safe Horizon chose to focus on women, teens and children based on these startling facts:

• Teenagers and women ages 16 to 24 face the highest rate of intimate partner violence.
• Nearly one in three American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
• Studies suggest that up to 10 million children in this country are exposed to domestic violence annually.

Safe Horizon's 2007 campaign urged the public to learn to recognize the signs of domestic violence, teen dating violence and the impact of violence and abuse on children - and take action.

To communicate this message in a relevant and visually compelling manner, the firm of Howald & Kalam, a top creative team formerly of Young & Rubicam who donated their time and talent to this campaign, spent several months developing and refining a series of ads using carefully chosen words that represent physical (more obvious) or emotional (more subtle) signs of domestic violence and abuse, while also incorporating a strong call-to-action element.

The campaign was featured in national magazines such as Essence, Redbook and People en Espanol, on elevator screens and billboards and on nationally syndicated radio programs. Safe Horizon also distributed more than one million informative tip cards about child abuse, domestic violence, teen relationship abuse and the impact of domestic violence on children in four languages, along with thousands of flyers, posters, t-shirts, temporary tattoos and other products - much of it downloadable on Safe Horizon's website. These efforts were generously supported by the New York City Council and other media partners.

Actress and Safe Horizon Board member Mariska Hargitay donned a temporary tattoo as part of this campaign. The tattoo is a graphic treatment of the words, "NO DISRESPECT." Mariska chose to wear the tattoo to "raise awareness by starting conversations about the signs of domestic violence and abuse, especially the less obvious ones."