A common theme in the gender and sexual discrimination that men face in the UK is the stereotyping they face in the media and especially in marketing and advertising (Pink and MFI and explained in a cracking Daily Mail column).
Not just in the "men are stupid, throw rocks at them" type of way but in the way that myths are perpetuated and become the accepted truth (if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth) even if the facts are different.
So what is wrong with the NSPCC advert?
Simple.
Last year the NSPCC published research (covered on the site a year ago) that showed that girls who had rung its Childline had said they were more likely to be a victim of physical abuse from their mothers than their fathers. In fact, girls said that 37% of perpetrators were mothers and 25% fathers.
Or another way, for every five calls from girls about physical abuse, three said they had been physically abused by their mother and two by their father.
The report said (page 10) "it can therefore be concluded that the children who call the Childline are most commonly phycially abused by a parent of the same gender."
To repeat, the NSPCC's own figures show that a girl is more likely to be physically abused by her mother than by her father.
But does the advert leave you with that impression? Of course not.
If the NSPCC advert was to more accurately portray a typical telephone call from a physically abused girl called Emily or portray the more likely scenario, the advert would be based on a call saying it was her mother that was hitting her.
But that wouldn't tug on the emotional heart strings as the NSPCC campaign wants to create maximum stress so it can raise more money. It would also go against the stereotypes and myths that society has about men and fathers and it is easier and less controversial (even if factually inaccurate) for the NSPCC to play along with that rather than worry about its own facts and experience (the NSPCC were probably worried about the Fawcett Society ranting to them as well).
The NSPCC is not concerned about wrongly portraying fathers, demonising men and reinforcing a stereotype/myth that its own figures have shown to be wrong. It is not interested in the truth.
In the war against men and the need to raise money, who cares about running hypocritical, misleading advertising campaigns. The NSPCC hypocrites certainly don't. It lets the poor girls who call down as well as it misleads people into thinking that fathers are more likely to commit physical abuse on them when its wrong.
We look forward to them running a reciprocal though equally factually wrong advert called "Edward's call" about a boy being physically abused by his mother.Thought not.
In support of its claim, the NSPCC [which is fighting hand, tooth and nail to keep non-residential fathers fromhaving child-access rights — "in the best interest of the child"] cites the fact that 29 children were killed over the past 10 years during contact visits to non-resident parents. That is an appalling figure. ************************************************************************************************** However, it ignores its own research, which shows that over the same period some 800 children have died at the hands of resident parents or carers [read "mothers"], and the 2000 publication "Child Maltreatment in the UK" , which showed that violent treatment was more likely to be meted out by female carers than male ones.
Paid staff at 31 March 2008 £ 60,000 to £ 69,999 7 £ 70,000 to £ 79,999 10 £ 80,000 to £ 89,999 1 £ 90,000 to £ 99,999 3 Over £ 100,000 3 Total staff costs in £ 73,496,000
Campaigners are warning that the lives of hundreds of teenagers who run away each year may be at risk after the closure of the only emergency refuge for teenagers in the capital.
The London Refuge, which has been run by the children’s charity St Christopher’s since 2000, has failed to secure further funding after the bulk of their support from the NSPCC ended last month.
The refuge, which provides emergency accommodation for under-18s, will close this weekend unless funding is found.
It is the only centre of its kind in the capital, and one of only three in the country specifically serving teenagers and young people.
