News Release
For Immediate Release: December 22, 2009
Contact Person: Diane Lee, PIO, 301-334-7730
Social Norm Campaign: Majority Rules
The Garrett County Health Department recently started a social norms campaign that had many people around the county talking about the Majority Rules message.
The full message, “7 out of 10 Northern and Southern students don't drink!” was phased in over several weeks and was used on pens, pencils, stickers, buttons, yard signs, stress balls, banners and t-shirts.
“A social norm campaign is a process,” said Brenda Sisler, Prevention Coordinator, and member of a team that has been developing the campaign. “We have to give it time to work. It is good for discussions and questions about the message to occur.”
The theory behind social norm campaigns is that a person's behavior is influenced by their perceptions of what is “normal” or “typical,” but we often severely misperceive the typical behaviors or attitudes of our peers.
A social norm campaign is designed to change perceptions, which then change behaviors. Research shows that social norm messages targeted at the true norm (in this case, that most students don't drink) will change youth's perceptions, which will influence their behavior to not drink.
“Education about harmful drugs must continue,” Sisler said, “but education alone can not change behaviors.”
The data for the Majority Rules Campaign came from the 2007 Maryland Adolescent Survey. The “7 outta 10” was derived from student responses to the question “Have you consumed any form of alcohol in the past 30 days?” The survey was administered to all 6 th , 8 th , 10 th and 12 th graders in Garrett County .
“We hear lots of people saying they know the students lied on the survey,” said Kendra Todd, Health Education and Outreach Director. “However, since the year 2000 the numbers have been about the same. So, if they are lying, they have been lying consistently for seven years.”
“We know that the first year of any campaign there will be questions,” said Sisler, “These questions are expected, because most people inaccurately view the substance use behaviors of our youth, but questioning the campaign is healthier than silence about the campaign.”
Research shows that the process works because students have a misperception that most youth use alcohol. In turn, they begin to use alcohol to “fit in” with what they think is a majority of their peers that are also using. When they understand the true norm, they are given permission to belong by not using.
The Majority Rules campaign is funded by a Drug Free Communities grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and sponsored by the Garrett County Drug Free Communities Coalition.
For more information about the Majority Rules campaign, or about other prevention efforts, call 301-334-7730 or 301-895-3111 or visit www.garretthealth.org .