There are two sides to Rocky Savaiigaea, a senior on the University of Hawai'i football team.

The first is obvious. At 6 feet 3 and 305 pounds, the broad-shouldered young man from 'Ewa Beach is an imposing figure. He's a defensive lineman, which means if you're holding the football, he's coming at you with all the menace he can muster.

But the other side of Savaiigaea, perhaps lesser known, is his stand against violence. He's part of a new public awareness campaign on domestic violence, being run by the state Department of Health and the university.

The 22-year-old Savaiigaea hopes to lead by example.

"I have seen it firsthand, with close friends, people in the community I have known and even some family members who went through it," he said. "It's not a good thing. You can't take matters into your own hands."

The campaign sought out UH athletes who could serve as role models and wound up with Savaiigaea and alumnus Bobby Nash, a former basketball standout. Family members also were asked to help, including Nash's father, UH men's head basketball coach Bob Nash.

"For me, in the position I am in, I can help so many people become aware of the situation and how much it hurts people," Savaiigaea said. "For me it is what I stand for and I am not going to stand for any man who puts his hands on a female. I will always stand up for what is right and what I believe in."

MEN 18-24 YEARS OLD

The public service announcements — two radio spots and two TV spots — were distributed to TV and radio stations last week so they could begin using them this month. The video spots also will be displayed during games at Aloha Stadium and the Stan Sheriff Center, starting this fall. Health officials have been working on the project for about two years.

Loretta Fuddy, the Health Department's division chief for family health services, said officials were alarmed by a growing number of homicides linked to domestic violence. Over the past decade, the state has averaged seven "intimate partner" homicides a year, she said.

The spots target men ages 18 to 24, in part because they can relate to athletes who share their demographic but also because state statistics show that nearly one out of six — 14.8 percent — of women have experienced violence at the hands of men those ages, Fuddy said.

"The intent is really to change male and societal norms that tolerate violence against women," she said. "We were looking to feature males who were respected in the community. We were really looking for those local models within our community so we can promote respectful nonviolent relationships with women."

With its highly visible teams, UH was a logical partner, said Tracy Orillo-Donovan, the university's broadcast manager.

A dozen athletes showed up for an audition last sum- mer, including three Wahine soccer players.

"They would have made a great commercial, but they didn't meet the demographic," she said. "But they were excited to be there and wanted to help. They were all for it. And that's what we all came away with. Many had a sense of giving back to the community in any way they could."

The video spots, which cost $24,900, were put together by Kinetic Productions.

NASH FAMILY

The PSAs were taped in May, when Bobby Nash came home from a first season playing professional basketball in Japan with the Shiga Lakestars.

The 25-year-old Nash believes the target audience may pay more attention because the message against domestic violence is coming from young men just like them.

"We're trying to be role models, and we are trying to set an image," Nash said. "We are going through tough economic times and people can be down, but we want them to know not to hit somebody. Love somebody. Enjoy life. It's short, and you don't know when it's going to end."

His spot also includes his parents, Bob and Domelynne, who have been married for 36 years. Bob Nash, 59, said he was compelled to participate, in part because he had seen domestic violence when he was growing up in Hartford, Conn.

"You saw a lot of it in the areas I grew up in," he said. "It goes undetected and there are tragic consequences."

Domelynne Nash said that she and her husband tried to raise Bobby — as well as his older sister — by setting a good example. Respect for women was a key lesson for their son.

"I think at an early age I said, 'Keep your hands to yourself. It won't be tolerated,' " she said.

"The things you teach your kids will become part of what they teach their kids."

LESSONS LEARNED

All of the public service announcements reflect the lessons taught by parents, and with good reason. When negative behavior is in a home, a child learns that as well.

Among those who study domestic violence, one train of thought is that a child who witnesses abuse will grow up to commit it. Girls grow up and experience depression, low self-esteem and trauma-related behavior, such as sleep problems, eating disorders and emotional numbness. Boys grow up and feel trauma symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In his video spot, Savaiigaea begins by scowling from beneath his football helmet but softens when he's wearing his everyday clothing and standing behind his mother, Chicki.

The two are close. She taught the youngest of her children not to hit or bully women. She also stressed consequences, she said.

"As you grow up, you make choices that you are responsible for," Chicki Savaiigaea said. "You need to be a responsible individual and a humble individual because you have to answer to that."

The lessons shaped Rocky Savaiigaea, especially when it came to the issue of respect for women.

"When I started getting into the dating scene, they were telling me that this is someone's sister, someone's daughter, and how would you like it if someone treated us that way?" Savaiigaea said.

The answer echoed in his head when he first read the script for the public service announcement.

"When I was reading the lines, I was thinking I would never want someone to treat my mom like this," he said.

Despite his convictions, Savaiigaea didn't tell his teammates about his role in the public service announcements, mostly because he thought it was supposed to be a surprise.

During a recent team meeting on sexual harassment, however, he was singled out for his community service. Suddenly he discovered he wasn't the only young man who felt this was important.

"People slowly came up to me and asked me how was it," he said. "When you stand up for what you believe in and what you were raised on, people respect that."