1:45 pm
Megan Bayliss
Does emotion stop people from hearing important child safety messages? A few days ago in How Can Child Protection Market Itself in a Positive Light to Parents? I raised my concerns about fear preventing parents from hearing and learning about child sexual assault prevention. And how the universe has heard my query... I have just had a personal experience of raw emotion preventing action.
A beautiful Peace power point presentation is doing the email rounds. Although I consider myself to be professionally hardened against life’s miseries and injustices, I viewed the power point as a parent and I felt the helpless, hollow grief of caring parents world wide. Touched and saddened by the graphic images of starving children, I called two of my children (11 and 20) to have a look.
My children were both disturbed and shocked. The oldest one, female, couldn’t talk. She put her hand to her mouth, sat down and quietly reflected without sharing any thoughts with me. The boy stared, made musings of empathy, but then got angry at me. “Why did you show me that,” he angrily intonated. “I can’t do anything.”
The reactions of my children have given me cause for further thinking on positive marketing around child protection. If raw emotion does block a person’s ability to hear and act then no wonder few people listen to global child safety messages.
I have long been a supporter of celebrating what parents do right. Parenting is a very hard job, with few immediate rewards and certainly no pay period financial bonuses!! Parents need support and parents need encouragement to continue good parenting. However, what about those parents who cannot protect their children.
How do you choose which child in need to help? The need is so great and so graphic that everyone will have their own way of either blocking or filtering the raw emotions of shock and horror. Some people may only be willing to help children in need that they can see. Other’s may prefer to give to agencies that help so that the financial contributor never has to see the shocking images of hurt children. Some may prefer to do voluntary work or learn about what other’s are doing.
I’d like to think of this as mini market research so that I have a better idea of what makes you tick, what motivates you to help and what causes you to take action.
How do you choose which child in need to help? Please leave a comment.
Posted in 
Hello world!
5 years ago
3 Response to "Market Research: How Do You Choose Which Child in Need to Help?"
Hey Erik
I know what it's like wanting to help every child. It's impossible for us to do that so thank goodness we have many people all doing their bit throughout the world.
When you find out what organisations you have in Belgium can you let me know please so that I can post about them.
G'day Megan,
I wish I could help them all - I wish I could win Lotto to help me do it! As we are on a limited income, I help those close to home first. There are so many kids in Australia that are living in poverty on the streets. Others are living in poverty at home and all are in dire need of help and protection.
We have some local organizations that do excellent work in this field and deserve our support. I also have a huge objection to larger charities taking a big percentage of donations for 'administration' costs.
"It takes a village to raise a child". We all live in "villages" and we have to get them in order as safe and caring settlements first.
I heard yesterday that the 'average' wage in Australia is over $1300 per week...I wish they would put that in the correct perspective. This demographic makes it appear that we are all fat cats. The truth is that it's a small percentage getting mega $$$ and the rest of us struggling. I cannot imagine what it would be like to exist on Social Security payments alone...and yet those on SS are rich by world population standards.
If I were younger, I would love to start a "Volunteers at Home" programme. We have a huge need in our "village".
Vickie.
Hi Vickie
thanks for your comments. Helping those close to home is an excellent thing to do. You didn't mention your involvement with the Youth Mentoring Scheme: that is a wonderful thing to do.
The notion of "a village" is indeed important. Concentrating on our villages is the best place to start for child protection issues.
And the average wage...sure wish I was getting it!!!! Your volunteer work is worth much more than a small financial contribution that gets eaten away by administrative costs so please, keep up your excellent commitment.
As for your ideas of "Volunteers at home": an excellent idea. So many people need a hand but there are so few willing to give it. Insurances and policies make it difficult but there are organisations like FNQ Volunteers (Cairns based) that match volunteers with need and cover them with insurance.
In my various jobs as a social worker over the year, often the most helpful thing I could offer was to hold a crying baby, make a cup of coffee or sweep a floor. Nobody needs a 4 year degree and expensive post graduate training for that.
Take care.
Post a Comment