Teenage boys as change-makers: a social marketing strategy to prevent violence against women

Violence against women is a global epidemic and particularly rife in Aotearoa NZ. It is not a new problem but has new influences; toxic masculinity, online influencers and the proliferation of pornography all fuel its fire, particularly for teenage boys, who are susceptible to popular culture influences. Men who become perpetrators often start when they are teenagers; making teenage boys a critical audience for prevention programmes. They are also good potential social marketing allies: boys listen to boys. Social marketing is an effective way of reaching boys; it is volitional (creates sustainable change) and can target the masses. Gendered social norms theory, supported by a gender-transformative approach, is an appropriate social marketing theory of change applicable in this research. This feminist approach seeks to change inequitable norms that contribute to the problem.

Within an interpretivist phenomenological paradigm, using 14 qualitative in-depth interviews and two group workshops, this research engages teenage boys in co-design to find solutions. It first asks what boys understand about violence against women, then what the norms supporting influences surrounding them are. Next the study aims to fill a gap in our understanding about effective social marketing messaging aimed at teenage boys–to prevent violence against women. It works with boys to envisage messages that will shift violence-supporting norms.

Results indicate that boys understand violence against women accurately and disapprove of this violence but do not view it as their problem. Furthermore, analysis shows that many find several inequitable gendered social norms acceptable, despite their contribution to the violence. This leads to a new theoretical proposition: there is a norms perception-reality gap among teenage boys. This gap is influenced by multifarious negative blockers across society; from peers to media and systemic sexism in old boy networks.

However more encouragingly, some teenage boys feel a responsibility to be involved in change-making. They have creative ideas for emotive and compelling social marketing messaging that resonates. Regarding messages envisioned, gender-transformative ideas that challenge masculinity have potential but are controversial; there is significant resistance. Some progressive boys see benefits, but on balance it is too much too soon for many. A more promising idea proposed by boys is the reframing of violence against women, to reveal its relationship with traditional inequitable norms. This can close the norms perception-reality gap, ultimately moving boys’ towards more gender equal, non-violent behaviours. There are significant implications for this research; it can contribute to theory building in prevention science and can be used immediately in practice. Reframing violence against women is a simple but effective long term strategy to drive real change to this devastating social epidemic in Aotearoa NZ and beyond.