Opening up a national conversation on domestic abuse: Awareness raising campaigns in Ireland during Covid-19. A Case Study

Abstract

At the start of the pandemic in early 2020, concerns emerged from around the globe about increased levels of domestic abuse (DA) and the impact that public health measures and restrictions to slow down the transmission of the virus might have on victims of domestic abuse (DA). In Ireland, Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence services (DSGBV), highlighted their concerns from early on that pandemic related public health restrictions could be misinterpreted, meaning victims might not flee or seek help because of the ‘stay-at-home’ directive, including 2km/5km restrictions on movement imposed during that period In an effort to address this situation, the Department of Justice in collaboration with a number of leading DSGBV organisations, created a primary national media campaign entitled “Still Here” This Case Study will explore national media public awareness campaigns that were developed, or delivered, during the pandemic in Ireland. We commence by setting out some background information on the role of awareness raising in combatting DA, and pre-pandemic approaches to national media campaigns in Ireland. The Case Study then explores the main campaigns employed during Covid-19; including reach, impact, strengths and challenges. It will conclude with some reflections on the future promise of such campaigns, based on the learnings from this Case Study.