COMMENT 17
Social stigma is holding back awareness of sexual abuse
With two major cases of child abuse being brought to the news this week, is the taboo subject that is letting these events slip through the cracks?
Dan Heard
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Perhaps this is where the lack of discussion around the subject stems from the fact that those who weren’t directly involved don’t want to become involved.
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Charley Griffiths
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If people wanted to seek out these sites, a simple Google search would do the trick. Advertising this at a bus stop isn’t productive in addressing its specific target market.
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his week, professional footballer Adam Johnson pleaded guilty to grooming a teenage girl and disgraced former artist and television star Rolf Harris was charged with further counts of indecent assault, despite currently serving a five year prison sentence. In this whirlwind week of revelations, questions have once again been raised over whether there is something of a stigma surrounding sexual abuse. Just why is it such a controversial subject to discuss, even when what has occurred simply needs to be confronted, yet never really is? When they discover that they have been abused, victims most frequently report feelings of betrayal. These kinds of feelings can often depend and more often than not be a result of how close they were to the perpetrator, and in turn how much he or she cared about them. Furthermore, it also needs to be considered just how much the victim felt they had been manipulated, either emotionally of physically, or captured by their situation.
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Adam Johnson allegedly met the girl in question through social media. He was her favourite Sunderland AFC player, an England international and occupied a role which should have seen him be something of a role model to people her age. Rolf Harris, meanwhile, was something of a “national treasure”, hardly off of our screens in decades, and supposedly adored by thousands of children. His victims ranged from participants on his shows, to competition winners, even to friends of his own daughter. Yet this appeared to count for nothing when you consider their actions. This process of betrayal affects not only victims’ feelings of security and trust in others, but also their selfworth. Human curiosity often intervenes once terrible events such as sexual abuse have happened, which leads to a questioning, a search for answers from their victims as to why this happened, why they were abused, and, significantly, what this now means for them and the rest of their lives. Perhaps this is where the lack of dis-
cussion and the real awkwardness around the subject stems from the fact that those who weren’t directly involved don’t want exactly that- to become involved. And while those who often suffered in silence wish to confront it, they are met with rebuttals, or even worse, nothing. There are endless answers to why it happened. And as it would appear to be in the case of the likes of Johnson and Harris, an abuse of the positions of relative power and almost authority they had over their victims. A process of publicly highlighting the true dynamics of sexual abuse is needed, which is also, undoubtedly, also the most difficult thing to do. In my opinion, and I know just how controversial a subject this is to discuss, even in a comment piece such as this, the only way of helping victims feel less stigmatized is to communicate what happened, to talk about it, to spread awareness so that it happens to no one else. This information needs to be highlighted, but until that happens, victims will continue to feel alone, and the stigma will remain.
Pictured: Awareness of child abuse, needs to stop being a taboo. (Source: Patrik Nygren)
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A process of publicly highlighting the true dynamics of sexual abuse is needed, which is also the most difficult thing to do.
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Is social politics going too far?
pinions have been split over the removal of an advert for gay cruising website ‘Squirt. org’ from two Cardiff bus stops. Removal complaints from the public have branded it ‘inappropriate’. Since then, Squirt.org have hit back at the public, saying the decision raised questions of sexual discrimination. Attila Szatmari, the digital business director of Squirt’s parent company, told Wales Online: “What is not known is whether people are taking exception to the promotion of casual sex or gay casual sex”, as the advert was approved by the Advertising Standards Agency. Plus, the advert hasn’t been removed from other cities such as Manchester, Glasgow, London and Edinburgh. Now, I would understand the cries of homophobia if the advert was simply two men holding hands (which in my opinion would be a perfectly acceptable method to advertise a gay dating app). But the advert clearly promotes casual sex. It pictures two men, one with his shirt open pulling the tie of the other man (holding a tablet), with ‘Non-stop hookups’ written in large letters underneath. And the name of the site, Squirt! I mean come on. That raises enough inappropriate connotations on its own. I can’t help but think that the advert is kind of pointless anyway. In the internet age, if people wanted to seek out these sites, a simple Google search would do the trick. Advertising this at a bus stop isn’t produc-
tive in addressing its specific target market. So in response so Szatmari’s comments, no it is not people hating on the advertising of gay sex, but just casual sex in general. If the advert was for a straight dating app, with a woman in her underwear wrapped around a topless man, my reaction would be the same. Any advert of this kind would be awkward to explain to a child: ‘Oh yes dear, lots of adults don’t like meaningful relationships!’ This is basically the real life equivalent of those weird online pop ups for ‘hot single mum’s in your area!’ Or, back in May 2015 when private bus company New Adventure Travel launched their bus service with a topless woman hiding her modesty with the slogan ‘Ride me all day for £3’. That was unacceptable, and so is the advertising a dating app branding itself as “a completely uncensored hookup/cruising site for gay, bi, and curious men who want to skip the pretence of dating and get right to the sex”. Charming. I am not someone to advocate banning anything that could possible offend someone, but you have to admit that this advert has no place at a bus stop where anyone and everyone can see it. Essentially, I am fed up with the whole ‘sex sells’ mentality in general. If you have to resort to such desperate measures for your company to get attention, you can’t complain when people call you out on it.
Pictured: Cardiff Council has banned this advert unlike many other UK cities. (Source: Squirt.org)
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The name of the site is Squirt! I mean come on. That raises enough inappropriate connotations on its own!
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