YouTube, MySpace, music and mobile phones help get the message out

The Department of Social and Health Services is spreading the word to youth that there is "No Excuse 4 Abuse" via viral video and social networking promotion. The new-media campaign uses the communication tools youth and technology-savvy adults are most familiar with – cell phones, YouTube, and social networking sites like MySpace.

In a unique collaboration the DSHS Children's Administration and teens from Allen Renaissance Inc., a non-profit group in Tacoma, recorded and produced a compelling and tuneful video "No Excuse 4 Abuse" with a strong message and a 1-866-ENDHARM phone number to report abuse.

"No Excuse 4 Abuse" is the first of many videos DSHS hopes to launch on popular social networking and video-sharing websites. The current generation of higher-speed web and wireless devices enables users to easily send and view videos via cell phones and e-mail and post to blogs, social networking profile pages and other web sites.

DSHS joins other trailblazing state agencies in using this form of new-media marketing. "We need kids to get the message to kids about abuse and what they can do about it. So it makes sense to get the message where the kids are," said DSHS Communications Director Thomas Shapley. "And with this video, the message to young people comes from other young people, not us adults."

• The Washington State DSHS You Tube channel is located at http://youtube.com/user/WAstateDSHS
• DSHS videos at the site include;

  No Excuse 4 Abuse Music Video
  No Excuse 4 Abuse PSA

• Fire Safety for Young Children- English

  Seguridad de Fuego para Los Niños Pequeños (Fire Safety for Children in Spanish)

  Passion To Action (Youth in foster care talk from the heart about the importance of mentors)

  Make It Happen (Information about college opportunities for foster-care youth)
  Problem Gambling - Not a Game

• The No Excuse for Abuse video is also on-line at the DSHS website; http://www.dshs.wa.gov/