How can we challenge fatalism and make the case for prevention?
Our Deep Dive Series explores the potential, challenges, and opportunity for impact in perpetration prevention. The latest knowledge product explores a key issue at the heart of effective prevention – MAKING THE CASE.
Most abuse is committed by people known to the child and a large proportion of abuse is committed by other children. In other words, abuse is perpetrated within our communities. Within our ‘normal’ lives.
Why talking matters
We know that child sexual abuse is preventable, not inevitable. But we don’t talk about it like that. It remains perhaps the most stigmatized topic in human society. Prevalence studies confirm to us that on average many of our friendship groups, work teams, sports squads, and families will in some way be touched by harm*. It is no wonder that as a society we struggle to discuss the topic. It carries pain. And yet, to prevent child sexual abuse, we must understand how it happens and how we can better intervene to prevent harm from occurring in the first place. In other words, how we can prevent more pain.
Unfortunately, another commonplace response to abuse is to ignore it, avoid it, dismiss it as inevitable, and assume the cause is a small number of dangerous strangers. The problem with this perspective is that it does not match what we know of child sexual abuse. Most abuse is committed by people known to the child and a large proportion of abuse is committed by other children*. In other words, abuse is perpetrated within our communities. Within our ‘normal’ lives.
Ignoring, avoiding, and dismissing are not luxuries we can afford. Talking about the reality of abuse matters. And talking about it means elevating survivor voices, demanding political leadership, and making the case for large-scale prevention.
WATCH MAKING THE CASE ANIMATION
We collaborated with FrameWorks Institute to examine common narratives around child sexual abuse in the U.S. and tested 22 metaphors with a sample of 5,389 people.
An insight into U.S. public opinion
One of the major trends that inhibits prevention efforts is the widespread misunderstanding that child sexual abuse is a uniquely unpreventable problem. That’s why we need to be able to debunk myths and misconceptions, and persuasively communicate that child sexual abuse is preventable.
We collaborated with FrameWorks Institute to examine common narratives around child sexual abuse in the U.S. and tested solution-focused metaphors. In total, 22 of these metaphors were tested with a nationally representative sample of 5,389 people. Each participant was randomly assigned to one. The metaphors included ‘fire safety’, ‘road safety’, ‘gardening’, ‘education’, and ‘public health’, among others. Different tones (neutral, crisis) and values (children’s best interest, common sense) were also used with each metaphor.
The fundamental aim was to identify what works, and what doesn’t, to shift perception. The results were enlightening and sometimes sobering. A few key insights:
- Using ‘public health’ or ‘the public health approach’ in communications can confuse and frustrate.
- The ‘education’ metaphor can increase support for collective action to prevent child sexual abuse.
- A number of metaphors increased fatalism.
- Including practical ‘solutions’ can increase support for prevention programs focused on adults.
The research gives hope that fatalism and can be reduced. This alone, is of great encouragement. It also reminds us that words matter and how we choose to frame child sexual abuse and the prospects of prevention have far reaching effects in society.
However, none of the tested metaphors simultaneously shifted public thinking about prevention, policy reform, and effectiveness. So, our findings show that perspectives can be changed through brief, targeted communications. But, further testing and development is needed to ensure that these effects last and to establish whether and how much continued communication is required to sustain perceptions of child sexual abuse as preventable.
You will find a number of journal articles from this important piece of research in the Article Library, as well as the Methods Supplement and Communications Toolkit. And stay tuned for more publications in the coming months.
We need the tools to advocate for programs in schools and youth organisations, and to build a compelling case for political support and funding.
Making the case, urgently
Alongside a growing body of research into perceptions and communications approaches, it is clear we also need concrete action, now. We need the tools to advocate for programs in schools and youth organisations, and to build a compelling case for political support and funding. All of us, working across policy, practice, and funding, have a responsibility to make the case for prevention in our roles, in our strategies, in our recommendations, and through our example.
The case for child sexual abuse prevention is one of common humanity. Prevention is an investment in current and future generations. It isn’t an option, it is an urgent necessity. And we all share the responsibility for making the case.
Want to know more? Explore our MAKING THE CASE Deep Dive in full HERE.
