To get the word out on sexual assault, it is on us. But getting the word out is not so easy.

Here are a few facts:

One in five women in college are sexually assaulted. About 8 million people ended their cable TV subscriptions in Q2 2013, according to analysts at SNL Kagan. Twenty-four percent of 18-34 year olds don’t pay for a cable subscription, according to ComScore. And most of the perpetrators of these crimes are men. Men comprise 87 percent of stalkers, commit 87 percent of domestic violence incidents, and commit 99 percent of rapes. Spend 3 minutes on this trailer to learn more.

So, how do we influence and reach college-age students (especially young men) about this burning “1 in 5 Sexual Assault” issue?

The White House took on this challenge using digital place based advertising. They created the “It’s On Us” campaign to reach these students and protect these young women. But, the campaign had to reach people in real time in their lives.

Kyle Leirman, Associate Director of Public Engagement at The White House; and Daniel Wilkens, Chief Client Officer at Agency 672, discussed how they engaged tens of thousands of college students though social media at today’s Digital Place Advertising Association annual conference.

Granted awareness of sexual assault, and abuse of women has been heightened by the new face of misogyny in the US. These faces include Ray Rice who beat his wife in an elevator; and Roger Goodell, whose inaction regarding Ray Rice was inexcusable.

The White House blog referenced the insufficient valuation of women in our culture when the campaign was announced on September 19th in this quote from the President.

"An estimated one in five women has been sexually assaulted during her college years -- one in five," the President noted. "Of those assaults, only 12 percent are reported, and of those reported assaults, only a fraction of the offenders are punished."

But "as far as we’ve come, the fact is that from sports leagues to pop culture to politics, our society still does not sufficiently value women," he said. "We still don’t condemn sexual assault as loudly as we should. We make excuses. We look the other way. The message that sends can have a chilling effect" on young men and women.

So, to reach these young people, for The White House, YouTube and viral video was more important than CBS, NBC, and cable. A video in a college cafeteria was more impactful than a commercial on live TV.

To reach people today, we have to reach them where they live. And to protect these young women took a major campaign that was highlighted today at the Digital Place Advertising Association conference in New York. The creativity of the media was as important as the impact of the message.

I commend The White House and Agency 672 for connecting to make a difference.

So, as many of you know, we are in a new era to reach, connect, engage and effect change. And regarding “It’s On Us,” it starts with each of us knowing what to do if we see sexual assault. Those tips are below. And yes men, I am talking to you -- us.

Here’s What to Do To Stop Sexual Assault:

It's on us -- all of us -- to stop sexual assault. Here are a few tips on what you can do to be part of the solution:

Talk to your friends honestly and openly about sexual assault. Don't just be a bystander -- if you see something, intervene in any way you can. Trust your gut. If something looks like it might be a bad situation, it probably is. Be direct. Ask someone who looks like they may need help if they're ok. Get someone to help you if you see something -- enlist a friend, RA, bartender, or host to help step in. Keep an eye on someone who has had too much to drink. If you see someone who is too intoxicated to consent, enlist their friends to help them leave safely. Recognize the potential danger of someone who talks about planning to target another person at a party. Be aware if someone is deliberately trying to intoxicate, isolate, or corner someone else. Get in the way by creating a distraction, drawing attention to the situation, or separating them. Understand that if someone does not or cannot consent to sex, it's rape. Never blame the victim.

If you are a victim or survivor, or helping someone in that situation, go to notalone.gov to get the resources and information you need. You can also call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.





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A special thanks to my friend, Barry Frey, and the entire team at DPAA for hosting such a great event and making "It's On Us" a centerpiece.

Photo credits:

Top: Shutterstock: Lightspring

Bottom: Rob Wyse: At DPAA Event panel discussion on the "It's On Us" campaign - Kyle Leirman (left), Daniel Wilkens (right)