In what we are sure must be awful adverts to watch, (we can’t bring ourselves to view them), Mexico has made an effort to highlight the nuances of child abuse in a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA’s).
The adverts were produced by an agency based in Mexico City called DIF Zapopan, and were designed to raise awareness of the fact that in Mexico, 80 percent of child sexual abuse cases “ are perpetrated by a close relative.” A 2003 National Institute of Justice report in the US also found that three out of four adolescents who had been sexually abused were assaulted by someone they knew well.
The National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse also has an interesting piece on these PSA’s written by Liz Dwyer, which we also add below, should you wish to read it.
Heart-Wrenching PSAs Reveal How Child Sexual Abuse Hides in Plain Sight
We raise our kids to worry about “stranger danger”: the child molester hanging out at the park who tries to lure a child with a piece of candy or a tale of a lost puppy. But as “Some Things Are Hard to See,” a campaign of gripping PSAs created for DIF Zapopan, a family development nonprofit, reminds us, when it comes to child sexual abuse, the perpetrator is usually someone that a boy or girl already knows.
The ads, which were designed by Publicis México, a Mexico City–based creative agency, focus on situations that children often find themselves in with close relatives. Instead of starring actual people, the videos shows camouflaged silhouettes of kids and adults, and there is no dialogue. Each clip starts out showing a seemingly innocuous setting—and then morphs into awful situations that might make your skin crawl.
The “ Hard to See Uncle ” clip is set in a bathroom, with a young child who is getting ready to bathe and an inappropriately helpful uncle.
The “ Hard to See Grandpa ” PSA is set in a little girl’s bedroom, where a grandfather inappropriately tucks in his granddaughter.
In the “ Hard to See Mom ” video, a mother and child are in a living room. It’s chilling to see the mom raise her finger, indicating that the kid should be quiet.
Each clip ends with the stat that in Mexico, 80 percent of child sexual abuse cases “ are perpetrated by a close relative. ” Here in the United States, the statistics are horrifyingly similar: A 2003 National Institute of Justice report found that three out of four adolescents who have been sexually abused were assaulted by someone they knew well.
Last fall, one such situation played out in the tabloids after Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson’s mom, June “Mama June” Shannon, allegedly resumed her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, convicted child molester Mark McDaniel. The couple’s alleged reunion led Shannon’s 20-year-old daughter, Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell—who was concerned over what it might mean for her younger siblings—to come forward and publicly share that McDaniel had sexually abused her when she was eight years old.
So while these PSAs are uncomfortable to watch, it’s nothing compared with what child sexual abuse victims such as Cardwell have been through. The videos go on to ask the public to “ help us stop this. ” Given that one in four girls and one in six boys in America will be a victim of sexual assault before age 18, perhaps these ads will help people open their eyes and see the abusive situations in their midst.
Big thank you to the National Child Protection Alliance in Australia, for sharing this item with us.
Researching Reform 
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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This illustrates the huge iceberg of child sexual abuse which lies beneath the relatively small number of instances of child sexual abuse by stranger paedophiles and which has long been the elephant in the room in child protection matters.
Methods of investigating such child sexual abuse within the family are extremely primitive at the present time, and this requires urgent attention in intensive training for those with the responsibility for conducting such investigations. It also requires Family Courts to give much greater cognisance to child sexual abuse allegations in Family Court proceedings, when research has shown that in 96% of cases of such allegations, the child is being truthful and that in law (Evidence Acts), children are competent witnesses and their testimony must be treated as credible and reliable.
The shortcomings in the present system of investigation is that rarely are sexually abused children seen by forensically trained paediatricians for physical evidence of sexual abuse, or forensically-trained clinical psychologists for emotional/ behavioural disorders which may indicate abuse, nor are Sworn Statements taken from Direct and Indirect Witnesses of the sexual abuse (i.e. persons to whom the child has made disclosures/complaints e.g. teachers, doctors, adult relatives/neighbours etc).
It is long overdue that this elephant is brought out into the daylight and that children who have suffered such abuse are given the safety and protection they have the right to expect.
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This reminds me of the continual campaign the NSPCC used to follow in portraying all abusers as men, making stark claims that women abusing was the rarity etc etc and then bombshell research came out that had taken years to compile, that actually the then ratio of abuse was 49% Men 51% women and the NSPCC screamed and threw a tantrum.
It does highlight a very real need of a database of victims to be brought about, so that these crimes are no longer hidden and the police to be using the Childrens Act compelled to investigate such crimes, anyone can write a letter of CA Compulsion to a chief constable who is legally bound to investigate such and if fails to do so can be prosecuted for malfeasance whilst in a public office.
A database of this kind must be kept out of the control of gatekeeping entities e.g. governments, suspect charities etc simply as they have a vested interest in keeping such crimes buried, not everyone has forgotten that the NSPCC were warned not once but many times about Savile and their actions even in the most generous terms could only be viewed as protective of the man.
The governments even crazier solution was to offer a wolf the opportunity to investigate the break in at the sheep pen by allowing the NSPCC to investigate itself and lo and behold… they found nothing wrong.
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We must keep things in proportion. Sad to demonize all for the sins of the few!
Adults in the family, including extended family, need to be aware and viligent on behalf of their kids. Kids already have too much on their plate to worry about sexual predators within their own home! They need to have their childhood and feel safe at home, not see the bogey man everywhere before they have a chance to understand monsters do exist everywhere but not everyone sees them!
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By the way, what are the child abuse figures compared to the rest of the population? 80% of what? Means nothing unless all the figures are quoted!
Richard you are quite right. Investigating any abuses with a child is fraught. It’s easy to lead a child, who is generally programmed to please. What is said is often not meant in the context of the conversation. Biased questioning by investgators steering the investigation, give the “required” results! This was shown for instance in the historic satanic abuse cases. False memories instilled by bad investigation procedures that I’m sure still happens today, to give the required results to suit whatever agenda is popular at the time!
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