Stop it at the Start
Stop it at the Start aims to educate adults about the new and hidden forms of disrespect young people are being exposed to online and offline, and the negative impact this has on attitudes and behaviours.
Stop it at the Start – The hidden trends of disrespect, was the latest iteration of the Australian Government’s national primary prevention campaign aimed at addressing gender disrespect and violence against women. Delivered between June 2024 and April 2025, the campaign focused on educating adults about the new and hidden forms of disrespect young people are being exposed to online, and the negative impact this has on attitudes and behaviours. DCPR led the mainstream PR activity, targeting adult influencers—particularly parents and carers—to help them recognise harmful online influences and re-engage in meaningful conversations, with young people about respect.
Approach
Our PR strategy sought to cut-through a noisy issues-landscape, driving engagement through four key pillars:
- Resource development – creation of eight information resources, a suite of infographics, and social media assets.
- Ambassador engagement – recruitment of four high-profile Australians: Gus Worland, Shaynna Blaze, Luke and Daniel Mancuso (Yiayia Next Door), and Zara Seidler to amplify campaign messages through video storytelling and media interviews.
- Media engagement – a phased earned media strategy leveraging ambassador stories, community events, and campaign milestones to generate national coverage.
- Community outreach – delivery of two major initiatives: the Respect Animation Competition for school students and the Respect Starts Now workshop series for parents and carers, in partnership with Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman.
Outcome
The campaign achieved strong reach and engagement across all PR channels:
- 34.5 million estimated media impressions from 45 pieces of coverage.
- Close to 6,000 downloads of written online resources.
- 1,000+ registrations for the Respect Starts Now online workshops.
- 500+ submissions from school students to the Respect Animation Competition, with entries from every state and territory.
- Nearly 68,000 views of the ambassador videos.
The campaign overcame challenges such as media saturation and caretaker in the lead up to the federal election period, to elevate public discourse around gendered disrespect and empowered adult influencers to take action.
