What Effect Does Mass Media Have On Child Abuse and Neglect

What Effect Does Mass Media Have On Child Abuse and Neglect

The use of various forms of media is an integral part of any prevention program. The empirical link between a macro approach, such as the use of media, and the actual prevention of child maltreatment, however, is very difficult to make. The literature discusses ways in which the media can be engaged to educate the public on child maltreatment, (Bolen 2003) since often times, people in the community receive most or all of their information about child protection from the mass media. One study out of Australia states that mass media presents issues concerning child abuse and neglect in three general ways: public service announcements, fictionalized accounts, and investigative accounts. Mondy and Mondy (2004) state: “The mass media tend to:

focus on the dramatic aspects of child protection;

present complex issues simplistically; seek scapegoats; fail to acknowledge that isolated cases (e.g. a child death) are exceptions that should be set against a background of the structural causes of child abuse” (Bensley 2004)

This paper suggests that child welfare professionals work closely with the producers of mass media to present a more fair and realistic approach. Writers of the 2002 report, Emerging Practices in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, encourage the use of public service announcements, posters, information kits, (Bensley 2004) television or video documentaries, and dramas to encourage positive parenting and to educate on mandatory reporting of child maltreatment, (Aniol 2004) stating that such activities have the potential to reach diverse community audiences.

Alvarez (2000) presents a creative and relatively simple way to prevent child abuse and neglect. As presented in this paper, the distribution of elementary school report cards often triggers an outbreak of child abuse. To curb these outbursts of parental ...