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A Public Relations Plan for a Campaign during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April for
Henderson House
Mariah Gonzales
May 18, 2014
Linfield College








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Goal
The goal of this public relations campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April
is to provide education and spread awareness about dating violence and sexual assault to young
people ages 14 to 19 who attend public high schools in Yamhill County, Ore. These schools are
Amity High School, Dayton High School, McMinnville High School, Newberg Senior High
School, Sheridan High School, Willamina High School and Yamhill Carlton High School.
Recent statistics show that there is a need for education on domestic abuse and sexual
assault among teenagers in the county. For instance, 30 percent (570 students) of McMinnville
High School students admitted in a 2012 survey that they have experienced sexual abuse (Stolp,
2013). Another study shows that 62 percent of students who attend high schools in Yamhill
County have experienced emotional abuse, 35 percent have experienced physical abuse, and 29
percent have experienced sexual abuse (Stolp, 2014).
The campaign will also target teenagers ages 14 to 19 because this age range falls within
the age group that holds the highest risk of being sexually assaulted, people ages 12 through 34
(Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, 2009).
First Objective
The first objective for the campaign is to educate approximately 13 percent (622 out of
4,974) of students who attend public high schools in Yamhill County. 622 is the approximate
number of students who will be enrolled in health classes during the month of April in the
Yamhill County public high schools.
The public relations theory that will help to guide the campaign is the Social Learning
Theory. This theory states that people learn through observation, imitation and modeling of a
behavior. The four steps that outline this theory are: 1) Attention - One must observe a behavior
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in order to learn that same behavior (Observational (Social Learning) Theory, 2009), 2)
Retention The observer must be able to recall the behavior in his or her mind (Observational
(Social Learning Theory, 2009), 3) Reproduction The observer then will be able to reproduce
the image of the observed and recalled behavior in their mind. In theory, the observer should be
able to physically and mentally reproduce the behavior (Observational (Social Learning Theory,
2009); and 4) Motivation The observer physically reproduces the previously observed, recalled
and recognized behavior (Observational (Social) Learning Theory, 2009).
The campaign will work to successfully capture targeted publics attention through a
variety of media and interpersonal communication channels. Secondly, the campaign will
attempt to influence the retention process among the target audience through other promotional
tactics (e.g., brochures and factsheets). The goal of the retention step is to get the target audience
to recall the campaigns message through communication tactics and to encourage audiences to
think about and process the message.
The campaign will then attempt to encourage the reproduction process among
targeted audiences through similar communication tactics as listed for step two, but new tactics
will also be added (e.g., article in the student newspaper). The goal of the reproduction step is to
get the target audience to be able to recognize the behavior that will be taught through an
interactive skit with students as part of educating students about campaigns message.
In theory, if all three steps are complete (attention, retention and reproduction) through
the campaigns promotional and communicative efforts then the targeted audiences will be
motivated to adopt the campaigns taught behavior. Therefore, step four (motivation) of the
social learning theory will be completed.

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First Strategy
The first strategy of the campaign is to persuade students who are involved in Leadership
Clubs their high schools to participate in the campaign. The purpose of this strategy is to get
members from the clubs on board with assisting in the campaigns promotion in the school.
This strategy will exercise step one (attention) and step two (retention) of the social
learning theory. The first tactic will be to provide information to the club members about dating
violence and sexual assault through email. The second tactic, a follow up phone call or email,
will then reinforce the attention of the campaigns message. Lastly, the third and fourth tactic, a
meeting and a brochure, will encourage the second step (retention), because it will further
educate the club members about the campaigns message so they can better understand the
campaign they are helping to promote. This is a way for the club members to recall what theyve
learned from the first two tactics in this strategy.
Tactics
The first tactic in this strategy will be to email each Leadership Clubs president. The
email will be obtained from the high schools websites or from calling the front offices of each
high school. Some of the high schools have a list of clubs, the clubs presidents names and
emails on their websites and some do not.
The email to club president(s) will include a PDF of a fact sheet that provides facts and
statistics on dating violence and sexual assault, and a paragraph on Henderson House and its
service, along with the organizations website. The email will also include a proposal asking if
the club is interested in assisting with the promotion of the campaign, and state that the sender
will follow up with the club members within a week via phone or another email to discuss the
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proposal. The follow up strategy will depend on if a phone number can be retrieved to reach
Leadership Club president(s).
A draft of the email will be created by Mariah Gonzales as part of her senior project. It
should also be sent out at the beginning of March in order to have time for follow up.
The second tactic will be the meeting that is set up during the follow up via email or
phone with club members. Advocates and/or a Henderson House staff member will meet with
club members at the designated time that is agreed upon to discuss and plan the campaign and
the club members role in the promotion of the campaign. The meeting should be scheduled in
mid-March in order to have enough time to prepare for the campaign.
The third tactic is to provide the club members with a brochure that provides more in-
depth information on dating violence and sexual assault. The purpose of the brochure is to
further educate the club members on these topics so that the members understand the campaigns
messages that they will promote in their schools. The purpose of recruiting Leadership Club
members is to have spokespeople who students are familiar with educating them on the
campaigns topics. The familiarity of the club members may make students feel a bit more at
ease about learning and discussing the issues of dating violence and sexual assault.
Here is table that briefly outlines each tactic under the first strategy:
Tactics Purpose of Tactic
Email To contact the president(s) of each high
schools leadership club. The email will
propose the idea of working collaboratively
with the leadership club to put on a campaign
that educates students within the high school
on dating violence and sexual assault.
Meeting To discuss in person the goals of the campaign,
and the club members roles in the campaign.
Brochure To further educate the club members on dating
violence and sexual assault so that the
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members understand the campaigns messages
that they will promote in their schools.

Second Strategy
The campaigns second strategy will be to educate students in high school health classes
through interactive presentations. Health classes are ideal to present to for the interactive lectures
because the subject of health covers a variety of aspects, including physical, mental, social and
sexual health. The campaigns mission to educate students about dating violence and sexual
assault relates to the physical, mental and sexual well-being and health of students, in addition to
healthy relationships (the social health aspect).
Henderson House advocates will implement the classroom talks, along with participating
club members. There will need to be several advocates in order to reach all the high schools in
Yamhill County. For instance, there could be two advocates in charge of implementing the
campaign at each school. Therefore, Henderson House would need at least 14 advocates all
together for each of the seven high schools. However, in order to get into the health classes, an
advocate or Henderson House staff member will have to ask permission from the principals at
the high schools. Also, these presentations should begin at the beginning of April in order to
have enough time to give the interactive presentations in all of the health classes. The
presentations will be taught from the male point-of-view because it follows the way Teen
Advocate at Henderson House Cindy Stolps dating violence program, which she teaches at
some of the public high schools in Yamhill County.
These interactive presentations will demonstrate the first three steps of the Social
Learning Theory (attention, retention and reproduction). First off, it is important to note that
dating violence and sexual assault may have been brought to the students attention through other
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communication tools from other tactics in this plan outside of the health classes. However, the
attention process in the classroom begins with a PowerPoint presentation that will provide
information about dating violence and sexual assault to students.
Secondly, the students will begin an interactive activity, which they will observe the
behaviors discussed in the first communication tool (this will also be a part of step one). Then the
class will collaboratively discuss what they observed in the interactive activity. The discussion
will encourage students to recall (step two) what they observed.
Lastly, some students may also venture into step three, which is to recognize the
behavior. In the discussion, students will be encouraged to identify behaviors that they recognize
as part of dating violence or sexual assault. The students who are able to identify such behaviors
have accomplished step three. The third tactic, a brochure, will reinforce the recognition (step
three) of the behaviors that the students observe and identify from the first two tactics.
Tactics
The first tactic for the second strategy will be to create a PowerPoint presentation to
present to students at the beginning of the interactive classroom lectures. The Power Point will
provide statistics and facts about dating violence and sexual assault so as to guide the lecture
about these subjects. It will be brief and to the point in order to leave time for the next tactic.
This communication tools purpose is to provide background information to the students on the
topics of dating violence and sexual assault, before demonstrating these topics in the following
tactic, an interactive activity. The PowerPoint will be created by Mariah Gonzales for her senior
project.
The second tactic is to incorporate an interactive activity in the form of skits. After the
Power Point, participating club members will introduce the interactive activity, which will
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consist of two skits. One skit will portray the dangers of dating violence, and the other one will
portray the issue of sexual assault. Each of the two skits will have an alternative ending that
portrays healthy relationships. For instance, in between viewing the two different endings of the
skit that portrays dating violence, the students will be asked a question that will encourage the
students to respond with what dating violence behaviors they observed in the skit. (These
behaviors will have been talked about previously in the PowerPoint presentation.) Then after the
quick discussion, the alternative ending will be preformed. After, the students will be asked to
discuss as a class the healthy relationship behaviors they observed in the alternative ending. This
process will be repeated for the skit that portrays sexual assault.
After the skits are over, the students in the class will divide up into two groups (boys and
girls) to discuss more in-depth questions related domestic violence and sexual assault. This is the
third tactic. The groups will be divided up by sex because female students may have a different
perspective on the topics than male students do, since females ages 14 19 are four times more
likely to be victims of sexual assault. The boys will have a slightly different set of questions then
the girls because the class will discuss these topics from the male perspective on what the boys
can do to prevent sexual assault and dating violence. This gives the boys the opportunity to
discuss how they can prevent such abuse from occurring. The set of questions for each group
will be created by Mariah Gonzales for her senior project.
There should also be an advocate and a Leadership Club member facilitating the
discussion by asking the questions that each group will discuss. In addition, each student will
receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides in order to assist them in answering the questions about
the observed behaviors during the skits, and the questions from the group discussions.
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After the two groups have a few minutes to talk separately, then the class will rejoin and
talk together about the answers to the questions, the things they observed in the skits and how
their observations relate to what they learned during the power point.
The fourth tactic is to distribute a brochure to students at the end of the class. The
brochure will provide information (e.g., facts, statistics, signs of sexual assault and dating
violence) about dating violence, which includes sexual assault. It will be written and designed by
Mariah Gonzales as part of this plan.
Here is table that briefly outlines each tactic under the second strategy:
Tactic Purpose of Tactic
PowerPoint To provide background information to the
students on the topics of dating violence and
sexual assault, before demonstrating these
topics in the following tactic, an interactive
skit.
Interactive Skit The skit will demonstrate the dating violence
and sexual assault behaviors.
Discussion Questions To discuss dating violence and sexual assault
more in-depth (e.g., prevention).
Brochure To provide information (e.g., facts, statistics,
signs of sexual assault and dating violence)
about dating violence, which includes sexual
assault.

Third Strategy
The campaign plans third strategy is to reach students outside of health classes with the
assistance of club members and Henderson House advocates. It is important to reach these
students because not all students in high schools take health classes every year in April. Only a
portion of the students take health class, depending and their schedule. Also, some students take
health class in the fall rather than in the spring. Therefore, it is important to use other forms of
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communication to reach students who are not taking health classes during Sexual Assault
Awareness Month.
This strategy will demonstrate the first step (attention) or second step (retention) of the
Social Learning Theory to students outside of health classes. It is important to note that some
students may already be familiar with the topics of dating violence and sexual assault through
other means not related to the campaign. Therefore, students who are familiar with such topics
may be reinforced by the tactics below to recall (step two) their knowledge on the topics.
However, students who are not familiar with the topics of domestic violence and sexual
assault may be learning about these topics when encountering the tactics below for the first time
(observation). In addition, some students may encounter most or all of the communication tools
below, which will reinforce the students to recall what they observed or learned. For instance, if
a student encounters one communication tool that provides a description about dating violence
and sexual assault, and then that same student encounters a second communication tool that
provides more in-depth information about the topics, then, in theory, the student will recall the
information he or she learned about from the first communication tool.
Tactics
The first tactic for the third strategy is to distribute a fact sheet to students outside of the
health classes during the first or second week in April. The fact sheet will be used to
communicate facts about dating violence and sexual assault. There will also be a call to action to
encourage students to visit Henderson Houses Stop Dating Violence and Sexual Assault
Facebook page for more information about dating violence, sexual assault and the organization.
The fact sheets will be handed out during school lunches by club members, displayed on bulletin
boards (if there are any) that are used for promotion at high schools and set out on a visible
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counter or table in the counseling center or main office. The fact sheet will be created by Mariah
Gonzales who developed this campaign plan for her senior project.
The second tactic is to create posters to hang up around the school. The posters will
include text that promotes Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The key messages that these
posters will display, include information about healthy relationships among students and the
dangers of dating violence and sexual assault to students, since the targeted audience falls within
the age group that are the most vulnerable to sexual assault. The posters will be made by club
members given that high schools provide supplies (e.g., poster sheets, poster paints and markers)
for promotional purposes to students. The posters should be created the last week of March and
hung up on April.
The third tactic that will help to educate students outside of health classes are brochures.
The same brochures that are given out at the end of the interactive classroom presentations will
be used. The brochures will be placed on a visible counter or table in the counseling center or
main office for students to take. The brochures should be put out on the tables starting the first
week of April.
The fourth tactic for this strategy will be to create a press release. The press release will
be sent out in April proposing an article about Henderson Houses dating violence and sexual
assault campaign to newspapers in high schools around Yamhill County in order to reach more
students outside of health classrooms. The press release will include information about the
campaign, domestic violence, sexual assault and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It will be
written by Mariah Gonzales who is developing this campaign plan for her senior project. The
press release should be sent out the second to last or the last week of March.
Here is table that briefly outlines each tactic under the third strategy:
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Tactics Purpose of Tactic
Factsheet To be distributed at lunchtime. The purpose of
the factsheets are to educate students about
dating violence and sexual assault outside of
health classes.
Posters To be hung around the school. The purpose of
the posters are to educate students about dating
violence and sexual assault outside of health
classes.
Brochures To be put out on visible a visible table in the
main office or the counseling center of each
high school. The purpose of the brochures are
to educate students about dating violence and
sexual assault outside of health classes.
Press Release The purpose the press release is to send them
to the high schools newspapers. If the
newspapers decide to do an article on the
campaign, then this will also help educates
students outside of health classes on dating
violence and sexual assault.

Fourth Strategy
The fourth strategy for the campaign is to engage students in the topics of dating violence
and sexual assault using social media. The purpose of this strategy is to find a way to reach more
students in the high schools who utilize social media.
The tactics below will assist with step one (attention) and step two (retention) of the
social learning theory because they will be used to continue with education students about dating
violence and sexual assault. Students who are not familiar with these topics will learn about
dating violence and sexual assault through the tactics below, and students who are familiar with
the topics will be reinforced to recall their knowledge on the topics.
However, social media also demonstrates step three (recognition), because some of the
posts will be interactive. For instance, if a photo is posted that demonstrates dating violence
behavior, then a student who has already surpassed step one (attention) and step two (retention)
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will encounter step three, which is recognition of the previously observed and recalled behavior.
It is important to note that any photo or video posted on social media that reflects such behavior
will not be explicit in any way. Also, the photos or videos that are linked in posts are premade
media that organizations have made to promote the issue of teen dating violence to teenagers,
which suggests the medias content will be age appropriate.
Tactics
The first tactic is to create a Facebook page that is separate from the Henderson Houses
main page on Facebook page. The purpose of creating a separate Facebook page is to solely
promote the campaigns message to students so that the content posted does not get mixed up
with other content on the organizations main Facebook page. Another purpose of creating a
separate Facebook page for the campaign is so that Henderson House can add club members who
are assisting in the promotion as administrators to the account.
An advocate will post two to three times weekly and club members will have access to
post external statistics, facts or photos (e.g., photos of club members handing out factsheets at
school to students etc.). In addition, club members will be responsible for inviting their friends
and peers to like the campaigns Facebook page via a Facebook invitation or word-of-mouth.
This is how Henderson House will build the audience for the campaigns Facebook page.
The second tactic for the fourth strategy is to create a Twitter account. Since Henderson
House currently does not have a Twitter, then the Twitter account that is made for the Sexual
Assault Awareness Month campaign can also be used as the organizations main Twitter
account. The Twitter posts will be linked to Facebook posts so that the content that is posted on
Facebook it is also automatically posted to Twitter.
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Students will not have access to the Twitter account because the account can also be used
as Henderson Houses main account, which may include information and news that is not related
to the campaign. However, posts that are made by club members who are administered to post on
the campaigns Facebook will also appear on the Twitter account, since the two accounts will be
linked.
Club members who have Twitter and who have liked the Twitter page will be responsible
for inviting their friends and peers at their high schools to follow Henderson House on Twitter.
This can be done by word-of-mouth, sending a direct message, tweeting out the link to
Henderson Houses Twitter account or re-tweeting a post from Henderson Houses account.
There are two social media accounts in order to reach and engage students who may have
or utilize one or both of the social media websites. Both Facebook and Twitter will provide the
same key messages, since the accounts will be linked. The key messages that will be displayed
through social media posts, will include promoting that April is national Sexual Assault
Awareness Month and communicating the dangers of dating violence and sexual assault to
students, since their ages fall within the age range that is the most vulnerable to sexual assault.
Another key message will also be to reinforce students to recognize signs of dating violence and
sexual assault, by including signs of dating violence and sexual assault in the social media posts.
Other posts will also encourage students to speak up about dating violence and sexual
assault. Some posts will communicate ways students can seek help if they become victims or
know someone who is a victim of dating violence and/or sexual assault. Also, some posts
reinforce the idea of healthy relationships among students. In addition, other social media posts
will include tips on how students can have a healthy relationship.
Here is table that briefly outlines each tactic under the fourth strategy:
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Tactic Purpose of Tactic
Create a separate Facebook
page for the campaign.
Educate students who attend a public high school in Yamhill
County on dating violence and sexual assault who utilize
Facebook.
Create a Twitter (can also be
utilized as Henderson Houses
main Twitter after the
campaign).
Educate students who attend a public high school in Yamhill
County on dating violence and sexual assault who utilize
Twitter.

Evaluation of Henderson Houses Campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Below are the evaluation methods for each of the four strategies in the campaign plan.
These evaluation methods will help to measure whether or not the tactics under each strategy
helped to accomplish the campaign plans overarching objective, which is to educate 13 percent
of students ages 14 to 19 who attend high school in Yamhill County on the topics of dating
violence and sexual assault.
Evaluation for the First Strategy
The evaluation method for the first strategy will be to add up all of the members from the
Leadership Clubs at each of the high schools who will participate in the promotion of the event.
(Note: These members will be the first students Henderson House educates on dating violence
and sexual assault). Then subtract the students who may be enrolled in health class during April,
because they will most likely be counted in the health class during the evaluation stage for the
tactics in the second strategy. Lastly, add this number to the amount of other students who have
been reached so far.
Evaluation for the Second Strategy
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The evaluation method for the second strategy will be to count up the total number of
students at the end of each interactive class talk and add it to the total number of students reached
so far. Also, a survey will be given to each student during the last five minutes of class. The
survey will ask questions that will prompt students to evaluate the effectiveness of the interactive
classroom presentations.
Evaluation for the Third Strategy
The method for the third strategy will include counting up the factsheets before they are
handed at lunches. The number of fact sheets left over after handing them out will be subtracted
from the total number of fact sheets to determine how many students outside of the health class
were reached from handing out the fact sheets. This number will then be added to the total
number of students reached so far.
The next three tactics will be evaluated through a survey given to the students in the
health classes. As mentioned earlier, the survey will prompt the students to evaluate the
effectiveness of the information they learn, but it will also ask the students where else they
learned about domestic violence and sexual assault during the month of April. In order to do this,
there will be a list of the campaigns communication tools included in the survey that were used
to promote the campaign during April.
Evaluation for the Fourth Strategy
The outcome of the evaluation method for the fourth strategy will be determined from the
number of students who like the campaigns Facebook page by the time the campaign is over.
This number can be added to the number of students that have been reached and will be the final
step in calculating the total number of students reached. If the final number of students reaches
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or exceeds the goal of educating 13 percent of students who attend public high schools in
Yamhill County, then the campaign was successful.
In addition, Facebook provides its own analytics for posts on Facebook pages that are
created for the use of an organization or promotion. For instance, a post on the campaigns
Facebook page will provide an administrator with the total number of people who were reached
by that post and the number people who shared that post. There is also a view insights page
that provides more analytics, including graphs that show which days and which times have the
highest amount of reach for posts on a Facebook page. These analytics help the administrator to
determine which time of day a post should be made in order to reach the most people. Also, the
amount of responses (e.g., Facebook likes and comments and Twitter favorites and tweet-
backs) a post receives can determine which types of posts get more interaction from followers on
social media.
In addition, the advocate who manages the Facebook account can create a poll and send it
out in a Facebook message to the students, and post it on the page. The poll will determine where
the students learned about Henderson Houses campaign and/or messages on dating violence and
sexual assault, by providing a check box next to each promotional tactic used so students can
mark off which tactic(s) they encountered during the campaign. Students will be allowed to
mark more than one communication tactic if they learned about the topics through multiple
communication channels.
It also important to analyze which communication tactics worked the best. For instance,
if 5 students said that they read the article in the student newspaper and 30 students said that they
learned about the campaign and its message through the fact sheet, then this indicates the fact
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sheet was more effective. Evaluating communication tools to see which ones were more effective
and which ones were less effective will help to improve promotional communication in future
campaigns.




















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References
Fujita, W. C. (2009, Feb. 7). Observational (Social) Learning Theory [PDF document]. Retrieved
from http://www.slideshare.net/wcfujita/observational-social-learning-theory
Stolp, C. (2013, July 1). Toward Healthier Relationships. Yamhill Valley News Register.
Retrieved from newsregister.com
Stolp, C. (2014, April 10). Personal interview.
Rape Abuse & Incest National Network. (2009). Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org
/statistics