Introduction
Many people take advantage of children since they are defenseless and have little power. Child abuse is a human rights violation committed against minors in a community. Families with step-parents may subject children to inhumane conditions like deprivation of basic needs. Moreover, many companies have exploited children and subjected them to hard labor with insufficient salaries. “Preventing child abuse” is my topic of interest since I have grown up in a society where many children have been abused. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are significant for campaigning against child abuse. Infographics, videos, and other content can be shared over social media to sensitize the public about child abuse. Therefore, I designed an infographic entitled “Child Abuse Prevention: My Responsibility” that details the impacts of child abuse and how it can be prevented.
Topic of the Artifact and Its Relevance
Child abuse is a social vice that is manifested in various forms and harms minors. Child abuse is the exploitation of children due to their inability to defend or protect themselves (Camilo et al., 2021). There are different types of torture, such as physical abuse — the intentional causing of injury to children by way of bodily contact (Wilson & Lee, 2021). A common form of physical child abuse is the overworking of children in harmful chemical companies. For instance, discriminating against kids based on their social status and skin color can psychologically affect them. Meanwhile, neglect involves denying children basic needs like shelter (Camilo et al., 2021). Therefore, children can be abused sexually, physically, emotionally, and negligently.
Rationale: Why I Chose the Topic
Child abuse is a common delinquency that is detrimental to a society’s success. This phenomenon subjects children to harsh situations, making it difficult for them to concentrate on education and other development programs. Sexual harassment among kids can lead to early pregnancies and, consequently, school dropouts. Meanwhile, emotional abuse among children can be detrimental to their future families and society at large. Children born into abusive families are likely to become irresponsible parents in the future (Harman et al., 2021). Moreover, psychologically tormented children can easily engage in criminal activities (Quiones et al., 2022). However, many people are unaware of the different forms of child abuse and how to prevent them. Raising awareness about child abuse is significant since it enables society to become more informed on the issue. Therefore, I chose the topic because child abuse is detrimental to society but many people are unaware of its manifestations.
Additionally, the selection of the topic is based on my experience. Growing up in a diverse community can be motivating since one can learn from the life experiences of different people. I grew up in a society where African American children were discriminated against for their race. In my community, the school had children from various races, including Asians and Africans, among other nationalities. However, the black students in my school were less favored. Many of the African American students in my high school were denied access to quality education. Some of our teachers outrightly neglected the African American students who would poorly perform in class. At home, the atrocities against black children were similar to those done at schools. The majority of the black children dropped out of school and worked in our neighboring shops, among other places.
Moreover, our neighbors, an African American family of three, were raised by a single mother. The mother got married to a Caucasian husband who frequently abused the children. Every time I passed by our neighbor, I could see the two sisters sitting in the cold and crying. Although child abuse was common in that house, very few individuals took the initiative of reporting the abusive stepfather. In 2020, one of the two sisters was shot dead by police who accused her of robbing a neighboring jewelry shop. The surviving young woman is a drug addict and has attempted suicide several times. The lives of the African American community in my society are a perfect example of the negative impact of child abuse in society. Therefore, having witnessed child abuse as I grew up, I was motivated to raise awareness of the issue.
How I Created the Artifact
My artifact is an infographic that communicates the various forms of child abuse and how to report them to the necessary authorities. The infographic has four sections: a definition of child abuse; forms of child abuse; why child abuse is wrong; and the importance of preventing it. The graphic can be converted into various forms depending on the choice of sharing medium. Although designing the graphic requires the use of complex software such as Adobe Photoshop, I chose free online infographic designers. I used Canva for designing the artifacts by following various steps as outlined on the website. I adopted the following steps in creating the infographic that raises awareness about child abuse.
Step 1: Information Gathering
This was the initial step of gathering all the information related to child abuse. I read through various articles on child abuse and summarized the information collected. An article by Camilo et al. (2021), provided information on the psychological effects of child abuse. Meanwhile, an article by Wilson and Lee (2021) helped in understanding barriers associated with reporting child abuse. Furthermore, the information on the neglected form of child abuse was gathered from an article written by Harman et al. (2021). Additionally, I gathered information from various videos posted on YouTube and the United Nations website. The gathered information helped me develop the four sections of my infographic.
Step 2: Analyzing the Collected Information
After collecting information on child abuse, I answered four research questions: what is child abuse? What are the forms of child abuse? What are the impacts of child abuse? And how can child abuse be prevented? The different articles described child abuse and explored its various aspects. I concluded the impact and prevention of child abuse from the articles. The analyzed information was sufficient in raising awareness about child abuse.
Step 3: Logging in to Canva.com and Designing the Infographic
Canva.com is one of the websites that allows users to create an infographic using the available templates. Firstly, I created a Canva account that allowed me to access the available templates. I followed the steps provided on the website to add text and other graphic features to my infographic. I added the analyzed information to the chosen template and designed it in a manner that is presentable and attractive. Moreover, I ensured that the text was well summarized to avoid a boring artifact. After that, I downloaded the created infographic that was ready to be shared through various social media.
Step 4: Converting the Infographic into Various Formats
Since my artifact was to be shared on various social media platforms, I converted it into various formats that are shareable on the platforms. Firstly, I converted the infographic into pdf format that I shared through WhatsApp and other messaging apps like Telegram and Facebook Messenger. Secondly, I converted the infographic into jpeg and other image formats. The image formats were shared through my WhatsApp status, Facebook and Instagram stories, and Twitter. The photo format was also shared with various institutions that printed for their students. The infographic was converted into various formats that were shareable with relevant audiences.
Targeted Audience
The chosen topic, “preventing child abuse”, is relevant to various stakeholders. Firstly, I targeted business corporations that are on the verge of abusing children’s rights. The information was communicated to the firms through social media posts. When posting the infographic, I tagged global organizations like the United Nations. Secondly, I targeted parents who are likely to deny their children’s basic needs. The printouts were shared on bus shelters and in parents’ online groups on Facebook and WhatsApp. Finally, I targeted teachers and educational stakeholders who play a significant role in imparting knowledge and skills to children. The teachers could share the information with their students at school. Therefore, businesses, schools, parents, children, and teachers are crucial in raising awareness and preventing child abuse.
How the Audience Will Benefit from the Artifact
The targeted audience will benefit from the infographic in various ways: they will understand child abuse and its negative impact and take part in its prevention. The infographic has information on the definition and forms of child abuse that is crucial in understanding it. Moreover, the infographic contains information on how to prevent child abuse. Therefore, the artifact will benefit the audience by equipping them with the necessary skills to resist the inhumane action. While businesses will understand the risks of exploiting children, parents and educational stakeholders will adopt mechanisms for reducing the menace.
Artifact Post Media
The infographic will be shared on various platforms with a targeted audience. Facebook and Twitter will allow parents, businesses, and the public at large to access the information. The post can be tagged with major conversations on human rights as discussed on Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, WhatsApp will be used to share information across various social groups. For instance, the images of the infographic will be shared on WhatsApp and Instagram statuses to engage more audiences interested in the topic. Therefore, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram will be used to post the artifact to the targeted audience.
Seeking Feedback and Making Changes
After designing the infographic, I shared it with my classmate who is good at graphic designing. The classmate gave feedback on the attractiveness of my artifact and the achievement of my project goals. The peer-review involved a quality check of the color choice, textual presentation, and overall design. After the review, I made changes to the choice of color and contrast as the peer recommended selecting more neutral colors. The final design was more attractive than the draft. The revised design was converted into various formats shareable on different social media platforms.
Conclusion
Child abuse is detrimental to society and should be prevented. Raising awareness about child abuse helps prevent the exploitation of children. I chose the topic of ‘preventing child abuse’ because I have witnessed the negative impacts of misuse of children. Therefore, I decided to create an infographic to spread awareness about child abuse and its prevention. The artifact was shared on various social media platforms while targeting children, parents, teachers, and businesses. Therefore, the prevention of child abuse is a public obligation, and all stakeholders must take part in raising awareness about the issue.
References
Camilo, C., Vaz Garrido, M., & Calheiros, M. M. (2021). Recognizing children’s emotions in child abuse and neglect. Aggressive Behavior, 47(2), 161-172. Web.
Harman, J. J., Maniotes, C. R., & Grubb, C. (2021). Power dynamics in families affected by parental alienation.Personal Relationships, 28(4), 883-906. Web.
Quiñones, M., Gold, S. N., & Ellis, A. (2022). Defining trauma, adversity, & toxic stress. In Not Just Bad Kids (pp. 67-101). Academic Press.
Wilson, I. A., & Lee, J. (2021). Barriers and facilitators associated with child abuse and neglect reporting among child care professionals: A systematic review.Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(6), 14-22. Web.
Appendix A
