First Nationwide Campaign to Help Parents and Caregivers Prevent Hate-Based Violence Among Youth
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University is proud to announce the findings of SCREEN Hate, the first nationwide campaign to provide information directly to parents and caregivers to prevent acts of hate-based violence perpetrated by teens and young adults. The report, written in conjunction with Moonshot and Ketchum, details the steps taken by this groundbreaking campaign to effectively reach potential “bystanders” – parents, caregivers, and other adults – looking for resources to keep youth safe.
“We responded to the overwhelming need to meet parents and caregivers where they are with resources for helping teens and young adults,” said Brette Steele, senior director of preventing targeted violence at the McCain Institute. “Our goal in creating the first bystander campaign aimed at parents and concerned adults was to provide all of these resources in one place that is easily accessible.”
Launched in 2022, and originally announced at the “United We Stand Summit” hosted by the White House, SCREEN Hate’s resource hub and accompanying online campaigns reached over 2 million people and garnered 5,300 users over 10 months. This includes both the bystander and community engagement portions of the campaign.
The advertisement and outreach portions of the campaign were done on a variety of social networking sites, including Google, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Reddit, and included paid influencers on Instagram and Facebook. All were significant in achieving the campaign’s two stated goals of bystander engagement and community outreach. Notably, A/B testing conducted on Google and YouTube targeted advertising demonstrated that people were more likely to engage with the campaign when language emphasized the confidentiality of the site and its resources.
“This is a well-written and timely report highlighting the need for continuous, clear, and user-friendly engagement on multiple social media platforms with content specifically designed for and focused on the prevention space,” said Dave Fortier, founder and president of One World Strong. “Additionally, helping to ensure that user access remains consistently confidential and secure will encourage more users to openly explore proven prevention techniques, as well as actively engage with prevention practitioners.”
According to a survey administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, seven out of 10 American teens in grades 8-12 see hate online at least once a week, with more than 33% viewing hate online daily. As vulnerable teens and young adults are increasingly stumbling across extremist messages online that could incite them to violence, the adults who care about them are also increasingly seeking resources to help and safeguard them.
“Those concerned about a youth’s involvement in hate-based violence badly need somewhere to turn for information and resources. One of the first things they typically do is go online. SCREEN Hate shows it can provide many of the answers they are looking for,” said Dr. Stevan Weine, director of global health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and expert on bystander reporting. “What’s more, SCREEN Hate uses cutting edge methods for delivering its messages and for analyzing and improving its prevention strategies over time. SCREEN Hate is a much-needed tool for protecting youth in these treacherous times.”
The McCain Institute aims to design and launch a second iteration of SCREEN Hate specifically tailored to youth. If funded, the program would equip teens and young adults to be “upstanders” capable of seeking help for peers at-risk of committing acts of hate-based violence.
SCREEN Hate is designed as an online resource hub that equips concerned adults with knowledge, skills, and resources to keep teens and young adults safe online through the following steps:
Start a conversation with teens and young adults in your life.
Create an environment where they feel comfortable sharing.
Remind them that hate-based violence is wrong.
Engage when they talk about games, videos or social media.
Enlist the help of a professional if you think your child is at risk.
Never ignore a threat of violence.
To learn more, visit www.screenhate.org
Read the entire SCREEN Hate report here.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs advance democracy and human rights, empower character-driven leaders, combat human trafficking, and prevent targeted violence. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
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