Reporting for Change: How Media Coverage Can Impact Child Abuse Prevention
BY: amanda hildreth
Did you know that roughly 1 in 7 children experience abuse or neglect (Manual RedEye, 2021)? While media portrayals of child abuse can sometimes perpetuate harmful stereotypes or sensationalize the issue, they have also been instrumental in raising public awareness and prompting political action (Manual RedEye, 2021; Goddard & Saunders, 2002). The media has played a key role in shaping societal understanding of Child Abuse, defining what is considered normal behavior and what constitutes abuse.
Media portrayals of Child Abuse and neglect can have unintended negative consequences, such as:
- Trivializing physical punishment: Normalizing or downplaying the severity of physical punishment.
- Violating children’s rights: Denying children’s anonymity or privacy rights.
- Scapegoating child protection workers: Blaming child protection employees for perceived failures or mistakes (Goddard & Saunders, 2002).
The History Of The Media and Child Abuse
The media has played a crucial role in portraying Child Abuse as a major social issue.. Child Abuse was a largely unacknowledged problem before the 1960s. Child Abuse has been widely covered across various media platforms, including television shows, films, soap operas, and news broadcasts. This exposure has helped raise awareness among a diverse audience. (Discover Society, 2014).
The groundwork for the recognition of Child Abuse came from the efforts of Survivors and advocates across the world. In the United States after the publication of “The Battered Child Syndrome,” the national media began to take an interest in reporting on Child Abuse. When the media became involved in bringing to light the issue of abuse, the impact was immense (Discover Society, 2014).
Extensive media coverage transformed tragic events into national scandals which required government intervention. The media has also been important in calling out powerful institutions, such as churches, to account for Child Abuse allegations. Media representations of Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse transformed public knowledge and had a large implication on what is considered private knowledge (Discover Society, 2014).
Until the mid-1980s Survivors of abuse struggled to make sense of what had happened to them within the conventional categories that were available to them at the time, due to the culture of silence around Child Abuse and incest, abused children and adult Survivors had to process their experiences in silence. They didn’t have the words to define what was happening to them (Discover Society, 2014).
From 1980 onwards, media portrayals of abuse began to provide Victims with a way to think and talk about what they had experienced. One crucial moment of media coverage concerning Child Abuse came with a major BBC program called Childwatch which aired in October of 1986. Childwatch brought a large expansion in public attention to the issue of Child Abuse, especially Sexual Abuse. Other media channels followed. For example, The Times newspaper increased their reporting on Sexual Abuse by 300% between 1985 and 1987 (Discover Society, 2014).
By the early 1990s, Child Sexual Abuse had begun to appear in American drama series and often became a subject of true crime documentaries and features. Media coverage of Child Abuse prompted Survivors to come forward and provided opportunities for Survivors to raise public awareness and campaign for political change (Discover Society, 2014).
Negative Portrayal of Child Abuse By The Media
Effective journalism should aim to foster open dialogue, encourage critical thinking, and facilitate compromise. It should also present information in a way that is both engaging and informative. Unfortunately, many media outlets fall short of these standards, sensationalizing Child Abuse stories at the expense of providing substantive information or resources for affected children.(Manual RedEye, 2021).
Media often simplify Child Abuse by portraying it as a result of isolated incidents perpetrated by a small number of deviant individuals. This perspective can hinder progress by shifting the focus from systemic solutions to moral judgments (Manual RedEye, 2021).
Stories that focus solely on individual cases of Child Abuse or neglect often overlook the importance of prevention. By framing Child Abuse as a broader social issue, rather than solely a criminal matter, we can shift the conversation toward strategies for prevention and intervention. A more holistic approach allows us to share resources and promote practical steps that can help reduce the incidence of Child Abuse.(Manual RedEye, 2021).
Unfortunately, most media outlets tend to broaden the definition of abuse and glorify its instances. This leaves the community desensitized and silenced and makes it easier to dismiss abuse that occurs in their own lives and potentially enable their own abuse. By glorifying abuse, media outlets leave Victims without a voice (Manual RedEye, 2021).
The Importance Of Protecting Victims’ Identities In The Media
When the names and identifying information of child Victims are shared in the media, it can inhibit cooperation with authorities, discourage future disclosure of abuse, exacerbate trauma, and complicate Victim’s recovery (Jones, Finkelhor & Beckwith, 2010).
Publicity around Child Abuse increases the child’s risk of experiencing stigmatization and shame. One study found that the greater the number of individuals who were told about a sexual assault or rate, the greater the likelihood that the Victim was a target of blame or hostility. Research has documented that the public often perceives Victims of Sexual Abuse as partially responsible for the assault and Child Sexual Abuse Victims can also be the focus of blame. Negative reactions by the Victims’ support and social systems immensely impair their ability to heal (Jones, Finkelhor & Beckwith, 2010).
Experts also note that Child Abuse Victims may be more likely to develop feelings of shame after abuse occurs because their views of themselves are still forming. The effects of the publicity are also hard for children because their self-concept is very dependent upon others. The stigma of abuse can lead to rejection or avoidance of a child by their peers which is associated with loneliness, isolation, affected school performance, and an increased likelihood of future social issues (Jones, Finkelhor & Beckwith, 2010).
Child abuse victims must feel confident that their privacy will be protected to the fullest extent possible. A breach of trust can lead to increased distress and may discourage victims from seeking help altogether.(Jones, Finkelhor & Beckwith, 2010).
How To Support A Child Abuse Victim
When supporting a child who has experienced abuse, it’s important to remember:
- Respect their pace: Children may be ready to talk at different times. Some may be open to sharing immediately, while others may need more time.
- Listen attentively: Children may express themselves in various ways, depending on their age and comfort level. Be patient and attentive to their cues.
- Reassure them: It’s crucial to emphasize that the abuse was not their fault.
(Indiana Child Advocacy Centers and Chapter of NCA, 2022).
Additional things you can do to support a Child Abuse Victim include (Indiana Child Advocacy Centers and Chapter of NCA, 2022):
- Returning to a normal routine as soon as possible
- Don’t talk about the abuse if the child may hear you discussing it
- Inform the child it is ok to have any emotion about the incident including anger and sadness
- Provide the child with therapy to support their mental health
- Help the child understand the importance of bodily autonomy and consent
- Don’t coach the child on how to act or what to say to investigators or other professionals
- Don’t have any contact with the abuser
- Be understanding of the need for unusual requests such as nightlights, leaving doors open, etc.
- Prepare the child for what may happen after disclosing their abuse
- Only make promises that you can keep
- Allow plenty of time for them to express their emotions through creative or athletic outlets
Remember that every child is different and overcoming abuse is a journey. For some, it takes longer than others and may result in negative effects including mental health issues, and post-traumatic stress disorder, or may cause no difference in childhood development at all (Indiana Child Advocacy Centers and Chapter of NCA, 2022).
Child Abuse and neglect can be overcome with the support of loving friends and family members and an honest healing process (Indiana Child Advocacy Centers and Chapter of NCA, 2022).
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Sources
Manual RedEye. (2021, January 12). The portrayal of child abuse in the Media. Manual RedEye. https://manualredeye.com/90876/news/local/the-portrayal-of-child-abuse-in-the-media/
Goddard, C., & Saunders, B. J. (2002, May 29). Child Abuse and the Media. Child Abuse and the Media | Office of Justice Programs. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/child-abuse-and-media
Discover Society. (2014, September 30). The media and child abuse. https://archive.discoversociety.org/2014/09/30/the-media-and-child-abuse/
Jones, L. M., Finkelhor, D., & Beckwith, J. (2010). Protecting victims’ identities in press coverage of child … Protecting victims’ identities in press coverage of child victimization. https://www.unh.edu/ccrc/sites/default/files/media/2022-03/protecting-victims-identities-in-press-coverage-of-child-victimization.pdf Steps to help a child heal after abuse, assault, or trauma. Indiana Child Advocacy Centers and Chapter of NCA. (2022, October 13). https://incacs.org/prevention/steps-to-help-your-child-heal-after-assault-or-abuse/
