For the month of November, the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program otherwise known as SHARPP, is hosting a month-long social media campaign titled “Know-vember.” Know-vember will have four topics covered, one for each week of the month. The topics are rape culture, bystander intervention, consent and healthy relationships.
This is the first year SHARPP is hosting Know-vember and while the month of Know-vember is purely a campaign, it purposefully coincides with multiple virtual events hosted by SHARPP and other UNH departments. The content will focus on violence prevention from a different perspective each week and with varying ways for participants to engage. Most of the information will be presented through Instagram stories, however, use of Instagram quizzes, IGTV videos, screenshots and posts will be used to get the information out in multiple engaging ways. The social media campaign is in large part due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in order to continue to provide the UNH community with resources and knowledge on these topics.
“Since it is a new initiative, it was developed in the context of Covid-19, which means the pandemic didn’t impact our expectations, but actually shaped them,” said Kate Gladstone, a SHARPP Prevention Specialist and creator of Know-vember. “Another piece of this is that Covid is having an effect on people’s experiences of interpersonal violence in a number of ways: increased isolation, the expectation to stay home in an environment that might be unsafe, the necessity to be tied to the computer and constantly “on” and available virtually, increased stigma around attending parties or gatherings that could impact people’s comfortability disclosing, etc. So, we will be integrating Covid-19 into the Know-vember content, especially as we get closer to the time when on-campus students will be heading home for the holidays and winter break.”
Gladstone began planning and collaborating with co-workers in the beginning of October to create the month of Know-vember. SHARPP is known for having an extremely strong social media presence and this campaign is an extension of that. Gladstone said the outline of the campaign was set before the first of the month, but content development is still in progress.
“Given the challenging nature of these topics, it’s important for us to be sensitive to broader contexts – what’s happening in the world around us – as we create and post content,” Gladstone said. “We strive to be adaptable and make sure that any content we post is responsive to current events and how they may be impacting survivors on our campus and beyond. Meaning, we can plan as much as we want, but need to be ready and willing to make changes where and when it’s appropriate.”
To keep up with Know-vember, check out SHARPP’s website, or social media pages on Instagram and Twitter @UNHSHARPP.
Photo Courtesy of UNH SHARPP
