Billboard ONLY Child Abuse Victims Can See

This group makes me want to buy a Harley-Davidson and fill my closet with leather. Big, bad dudes all dressed up and ready to…protect children. Talk about an important & urgent cause! A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in our country. Approximately 3 million reports are filed every year in the U.S. These 3 million reports add up to about 6 million victims under the age of 18.

These statistics, as shocking as they are, do not tell the entire story. Not even close. Most victims of child abuse don’t come forward because, well…they’re children; they’re vulnerable, scared, and confused. And even if they found the ability, courage, and strength to tell someone…who would they tell? When a child is abused, all adults become suspect. Once these twisted, painful categories are opened, previously safe people don’t feel so safe anymore.

For all these reasons, I had to post about the Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation (ANAR). This group (based in Spain) created an ad that only children can see. The banner pictures a boy’s face and a message for adults (at the top). But, if the person viewing the ad is 4’5” or shorter, she can see cuts and bruises on the boy’s face. She can also read a message that her adult, and potential abuser, can’t read: “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you.” The hope is that the victim, or a friend of the victim, will see the poster, read the message, and make the call.

Check out this video describing the strategy behind ANAR’s poster: