Joyful Heart’s Male Survivor PSA Series

NO MORE Excuses: The Male Survivors Series

We recognize that male survivors are met with persistent and harmful responses: That sexual abuse can’t happen to guys. That they just need to get over it. That guys wouldn’t “let” that happen to them.

In 2016, Joyful Heart partnered with Viacom and 1in6, a leading organization that provides support and information to adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, released a new series of video and print ads—adding to a suite of print ads released in 2014—specifically addressing the myths and excuses that male survivors hear. They invite men who have experienced unwanted or abusive sexual abuse in childhood, and those who care for them, to visit 1in6.org for help.

In case you missed it, I wanted to share our new series in Joyful Heart’s groundbreaking, celebrity-driven NO MORE PSA campaign developed in partnership with 1in6, a leading organization providing support and information to male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, produced by Viacom and created by Rachel Howald and Young & Rubicam. The PSAs are already airing across Viacom’s networks, and tomorrow, you’ll be able to see them during the eighth #NOMOREexcuses marathon of Law & Order: SVU on USA Network, starting at 1pm/12c.

WATCH THE NEW VIDEO

http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/programs/education/no-more/psa-campaign/no-more-excuses-male-survivors-series#sthash.cIxU9PCn.dpuf

Today, I wrote on our blog about why we’ve been partnering with USA for these marathons since 2014. We already know that television and media have the power to shape and change attitudes. And SVU is one of the few far-reaching platforms that has, for so long, brought sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse into the light. Recent studies have confirmed that watching it promotes healthy ideas around sexual assault: less victim-blaming, an increased understanding that anyone can be a survivor, that there is no “perfect victim.” And the show’s platform to reach survivors is something we have long known. It’s why Joyful Heart is here today—because when our Founder & President, Mariska Hargitay, first started playing Olivia Benson, she heard from thousands and thousands of survivors, sharing their stories, many for the first time.

Through this partnership with USA, we’ve leveraged SVU ‘s 17 seasons of episodes to drive a conversation forward online and on social media—reducing isolation and stigma and connecting individuals to support, information and community. The video messages that air throughout each marathon share information with viewers on topics like consent, expressing healthy masculinity, assault and abuse in the military, campus sexual assault—connecting them with organizations like Joyful Heart, that have deep and clinically-sound content, that are service providers or first responders.

We are very proud to host tomorrow’s marathon in honor of NO MORE Week, following on the heels of the release of our new Male Survivors PSA series. So please join us tomorrow. Watch out for the videos during the day. Join us on Twitter to follow the conversation at #NOMOREexcuses. Share the new series in the PSA campaign on social media to help deliver a message to the 21 million men who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse—to all survivors of violence and abuse—you are not alone.

With gratitude,

Maile Zambuto
Chief Executive Officer
Joyful Heart Foundation