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Sexualized violence against men is a widespread but unknown and highly taboo subject. Millions of men in Germany are affected, but the problem is often overlooked or ignored. The Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese's psychological advice center "Ruf und Rat" has set up a contact point for men who have experienced abuse in order to offer support to those affected.
Bringing unknown topics into the public eye is always challenging. If it is also a major taboo, an attention-grabbing idea is all the more necessary. After all, the aim is to reach as many affected people as possible and encourage them to seek help.
Many affected men are ashamed and often keep their negative experiences hidden. Gender stereotypes that portray men as dominant and insensitive further reinforce this taboo.
To make the topic of sexualized violence against men visible, a simple graphic trick was used: highlighting the masculine personal pronoun "HE" in words that we use when we talk about violence.
Our campaign visually translated the "overlooking" of male victims and used this creative twist to draw attention to the issue of violence in connection with men. The motifs were successfully disseminated via billboards, posters and social media and led those affected, relatives and interested parties to the specially created website, which offers opportunities for dialog. What was more decisive, however, was that the topic was taken out of the taboo zone.
The "ER" campaign therefore not only made the issue of sexualized violence against men visible, but also helped to raise social awareness and give those affected a voice.