Cartoon Characters and Child Abuse Prevention?

What might cartoon characters have to do with preventing child abuse?

Most would say nothing. Until recently, that probably would have been true, but not anymore.

Somewhere, someone decided to swap a Facebook profile photo for cartoon characters to draw attention to child abuse and the need for prevention. Many people followed suit, then many more, then thousands more. It became a mini-movement, got a lot of people talking and even attracted the attention of the national media.

Facebook’s profile picture movement asked no one to do anything other than post a picture to acknowledge the fact that child abuse exists and that we all need to do something about it. The change from images to cartoon characters made a statement and started a conversation.

For many people, it did even more than that.

Facebook’s image campaign is prompting some to donate to local organizations that prevent and respond to child abuse. Others seek more information about what can be done and share it with friends.

Others post messages on their own Facebook pages, respond to a large number of blog posts, or contact the media to call for more attention to child abuse and the need to stop it. Others share their own experiences as survivors of abuse and / or empathize with those who have suffered abuse.

All from a cartoon character image.

Many people have tried to find out who started it and if this was all a legitimate move. But none of that really matters.

What really matters is that conversations are taking place across the country about child abuse, something that people have often been hesitant to discuss, but a topic that desperately needs our attention. It is not just something that inevitably happens and cannot be changed. Can.

More and more people recognize that for our communities to thrive, we must all recognize and address child abuse. Whether it is physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect, it is not okay for this to happen. It is simply unacceptable for a child to be abused in any way. Forever.

Tackling this issue head-on now will pay off tremendously in the future. The more we invest now in the health and well-being of children and families, the more the next generation will give back through increased productivity, better health, and responsible citizenship.

More and more people are realizing that protecting children involves all people in all communities, it is not someone else’s problem. It is a personal responsibility.

Each person can make a difference in their sphere of influence – talk to friends, family and colleagues to raise awareness about child abuse. Find out what policies are in place to protect children. Ask local officials to take the initiative to do more to protect children. Get involved with a local organization that sponsors child abuse prevention and response programs.

For example, there are more than 900 Child Advocacy Centers across the country that have hundreds of resources to prevent and respond to child abuse. An example is the National Center for Children’s Advocacy in Huntsville, Alabama, where model programs and initiatives are developed and disseminated to communities in the United States and around the world.

The possibilities are endless. And the opportunities are out there. There are solutions that work and are available to everyone.

The most important thing is that more and more people are more aware of what is happening around them.

All from an image of a cartoon character. Really amazing.

Now we have to start from here. We need to harness the momentum to take child abuse awareness to a new level and do even more.

Communities. Individuals Action. Can be done!