Effects of PREPARE, a Multi-component, School-Based HIV and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Prevention Programme on Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviour and IPV: Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study measured social norms explicitly, focusing on perceived expectations from peers, family, and partners around condom use and delaying sex. The intervention addressed both descriptive and injunctive norms by attempting to shift young people’s perceptions of what behaviors are typical and appropriate in their communities. While the intervention improved knowledge […]
Evaluation of a male engagement intervention to transform gender norms and improve family planning and HIV service uptake in Kabale, Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the difficulty of transforming entrenched gender norms through short-duration, community-based interventions without adequately trained facilitators. Although some improvements were observed in men’s health-seeking behaviors, meaningful changes in gender attitudes were minimal. The findings underscore that deeply held cultural beliefs are resistant to change, especially when interventions are not […]
Combination prevention package of interventions for reducing vulnerability to HIV among adolescent girls and young women in Nigeria: An action research
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that interventions co-designed with communities can shift entrenched social norms that heighten adolescent girls’ and young women’s vulnerability to HIV. Parental silence around sexuality, peer silence about safer sex, and stigma associated with condom access were actively challenged through tailored, participatory activities. Interventions that enabled parents to discuss […]
Effectiveness of Social Media-Based Intervention in Intention Change of Adolescents for Promoting Sexual Health Behavior in Western Terai of Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how social media-based health education interventions can positively shape adolescents perceived social norms related to sexual health behaviors. Although perceptions of other’s feelings towards a behavior (coined as subjective norms) were not the strongest predictors of behavioral intention, the intervention fostered a greater sense of peer approval and […]
Marketing Gender Norms: A Social Media Experiment in India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that digital platforms like Facebook Messenger can be leveraged to shift social norms around gender and violence against women. Format matters: a fictional, humorous video series reduced regressive gender attitudes and acceptance of violence against women, while a documentary format was more effective in motivating public action. Subtle, […]
Using Social Media to Change Gender Norms: An Experiment within Facebook Messenger in India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This evaluation affirms that social media can be powerful vehicles for shifting social norms around gender and violence against women in India. The format of media content critically shaped outcomes. A fictional, humorous series led to meaningful reductions in harmful gender norms and increased empathy toward survivors, while a documentary format […]
Countering Violence Against Women by Encouraging Disclosure: A Mass Media Experiment in Rural Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that social norms surrounding disclosure of violence—specifically the fear of gossip, judgment, or community backlash—can be shifted independently of attitudes about the acceptability of violence itself. When people believe that others in their community will support reporting violence rather than shame survivors, willingness to disclose increases, and actual […]
A qualitative exploration of the salience of MTV-Shuga, an edutainment programme, and adolescents’ engagement with sexual and reproductive health information in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: MTV Shuga Down South demonstrates how mass media can catalyze shifts in social norms related to HIV, gender dynamics, and sexual health by sparking peer dialogue and promoting reflection among young people. The show’s impact hinged on its ability to normalize conversations about taboo topics and present relatable scenarios that challenged […]
Rape Prevention Through Empowerment of Adolescent Girls
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores the power of individual-level empowerment to shift social norms around sexual violence. By teaching adolescent girls to assert their boundaries, resist coercion, and speak out, the intervention helped dismantle norms of silence and victim-blaming. Increased disclosure and the use of verbal resistance signaled changing expectations about girls’ agency […]
Estimating the Cost of the Design, Production, and Dissemination of Social Media Videos for Social and Behavioral Change: Evidence From Merci Mon Héros in Niger and Côte d’Ivoire
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the role of youth-led media in challenging taboos and social norms around reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP) in Francophone West Africa. By sharing personal stories and thanking supportive adults, the Merci Mon Héros (MMH) videos promoted open intergenerational communication, helping to normalize RH conversations. The campaign […]