A survey conducted among young people in Denmark aged 16-24 shows that approximately every third young Dane (35%) finds it hard to set boundaries in their relationship. This is a problem as it can lead to unhealthy relationships and psychological violence.*

We decided to create a campaign which would help the young Danes recognize and acknowledge the signs of an unhealthy relationship. As most violent relationships start with a form of control, manipulation or a lack of equilibrium in power, we wanted the target group to acknowledge that this could be early signs of a potentially violent relationship, in order for them to break out of the relation.

*The survey is conducted by Epinion in November 2017 among 610 respondents aged 16-24. The distribution of respondents is weighted in relation to population distribution across gender (male, female). The aggregate statistical uncertainty is a maximum of ± 4 percentage point.

We created three short films of 4-5 minutes, which were shared on social media. Each film begins with a sign that says ”WARNING – this video may contain scenes of violence. But none of the films show any incidents of physical violence. On the contrary, they depict common everyday situations. Yet every film is packed with intensity and a feeling of unease. Each film portrays a young person who is controlled or manipulated by a boy- or girlfriend. Each film ends with the caption - Abuse doesn't always leave bruises. Don't accept it.

In this way, we motivated the target group to start considering the fact that violence may occur in a different form and that it can still be harmful even though you cannot see it. It was an important part of the campaign effort to create reflection as well as room for interpretation.

The campaign ran from December, 5th, 2017 - January 21st, 2018. As a central part of the SoMe-strategy, “Scenes of Violence” had its own Facebook page where the three films were continuously shared. Each film was followed up by expert interviews, clarifying how the films portray unhealthy relationships and psychological abuse.

Furthermore, in order to ensure identification and credibility, we let four influencers tell their own personal story about psychological violence via their own social channels.

Due to the overwhelming engagement in the target group, we chose to encourage the sharing of the target group’s own stories about psychological violence and abuse. The campaign was backed up by a targeted PR-effort, in order to set the agenda in the Danish national media and create attention around psychological violence and abuse.

The campaign received more than 25 mill. exposures. Up to 96% interacted with the campaign.

Most importantly, the campaign helped to create a deep reflection and consideration within the target group. This was reflected in the many comments and personal stories told around the campaign. We received stories from victims as well as young people who had themselves acted in an abusive way. Many of whom wrote that the campaign had helped them acknowledge their situation and seek counseling.

The campaign got more than 25 mill. PR and social media exposures:

- 55% of the campaign views were organically driven

- The campaign sparked the debate receiving more than 8.300 comments on SoMe

- 96% of the target group on SoMe interacted with the campaign content

- We got 109 PR cuttings across media

- The number of Google searches on psychological violence increased explosively, while the campaign ran.

The campaign targeted young individuals between 16-24 years.

In order to increase identification and credibility, we invited four influencers to share their own personal stories about psychological violence on social media. The short films appeared continuously on social media during a seven-week campaign period. Each short film was followed by an expert film where comments were given about the content of the film putting emphasis on the specific signs of psychological violence and abuse occurring in the films.

At the same time, we shared a number of influencer stories on our social channels to give emphasis to important topics related to the matter at hand.

Violence against partners is often seen as synonymous with physical violence which leaves marks – but psychological violence, compulsion, social control, and stalking are all types of violence that don’t leave visible bruises. According to experts, these types of violence can be as harmful as physical violence. Most violent relationships begin with some kind of control, manipulation and a shifting power balance. Especially among young women and men, there is a lack of knowledge of what a healthy relationship is. This is problematic, as it can lead to unhealthy relationships in the future.

Therefore, the Danish Minister of Equality and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark launched a campaign with the aim to prevent violence in relationships among young people between 16-24 years of age. The campaign, furthermore, aimed to create awareness of the concept of violence and to make the target group fully comprehend that violence is different from and more than physical violence.