Around the early 1880’s, the Reverend George Staite voiced
the need to establish an organisation similar to that of the ‘Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ due to a fact that social deprivation and
hardship was at an alarming level for children.
On the 8th of July 1884, his wish was granted
and ‘The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’ was founded.
By 1889, the London Society branched out to 32 others
around England, Wales and Scotland, raising funds for inspections and
investigations on reports of child abuse and neglection. As a result of an
annual general meeting the society decided on changing its name to the ‘National
Society for the Prevention of Child Cruelty’. In the same year, Queen Victoria
was made Patron and the first Prevention of Cruelty to Children act was passed.
Since then, more than 10 million children in the UK have
been rescued by the NSPCC.
The NSPCC recently faced criticism for allegedly exaggerating
and fabricating facts and figures in its research and also using ‘fear
mongering’ techniques in its advertising.
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) received 150
complaints regarding the NSPCC TV Ad which was aimed to encourage viewers to report
suspected child abuse situations. The advert included objects like teddy bears,
children wallpapers and magazines while a voice-over of adults is heard
speaking to children either aggressively, sexually and mockingly.
Some of the viewers, who reported, claimed that they had
been abused at a younger age and found the adverts to be distressing. Others either
claimed that the campaigning advert was to hard-hitting for children to watch,
that it implied only parents abused children or that it could potentially
encouraged abusers in a stimulating or reassuring manner.
The ITC sympathized with the viewers who claimed to be
victims of child abuse and found the advert distressing but stated that it however,
approves of such strong material to be shown in the context of charity or public
service advertising. Although the campaign was powerful and emotive, the ITC
judged that its cause and objectives were generally acceptable.
The NSPCC then explained that they also offered arrangements
for counselling sessions with counselling organisations.
Furthermore, the ITC disagreed with the complaints
suggesting the advert to be “suggestive of only parental abuse” and “encouraging
for abusers” and concluded that the advert should be allowed to continue,
leaving the complaints un-upheld.
Bibliography:
History of the NSPCC: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-we-do/about-the-nspcc/history-of-NSPCC/history-of-the-nspcc_wda72240.html
Television Advertising Complaints Report: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/itc/itc_publications/complaints_reports/advertising_complaints/show_complaint.asp-ad_complaint_id=207.html
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Society_for_the_Prevention_of_Cruelty_to_Children#Campaigning_and_controversy
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