Can social media really ‘End the Harm? Stakeholder perspectives on the public awareness campaign against paramilitary-style attacks in Northern Ireland

Paramilitary-style attacks (PSAs) continues to blight working-class loyalist and republican communities two decades after the Belfast Agreement. This paper explores the efficacy of public awareness campaigns designed to challenge those who justify these actions. It does so by reviewing the literature on PSAs, analysing previous public information campaigns in Northern Ireland and overseas, and providing an overview of Ending the Harm, the campaign launched by the Department of Justice (NI) to address PSAs. These issues were explored through a thematic analysis of interviews (N=7) conducted with key stakeholders including the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and restorative justice organizations.