Compare the Use of Media in the Two Posters in Barnardo's ‘Stolen Childhood’ Campaign That Make the Campaign Effective.

Barnardo’s is a charity that supports child poverty. It was founded by Dr. Thomas Barnardo in 1867 to help neglected, vulnerable and abused children. The “stolen childhood” campaign was set up in 2002 in attempt to change the publics view on child prostitution. They conveyed there message by using media i.e. T.V advertisements and a poster campaign.
Both of the Posters’ show an image of a child with the faces drained of their youth; showing the public the inner feelings of a child which has been robbed of his or her childhood. This makes people aware of how child prostitution can affect children’s life. The empathy causes them to realize that child prostitution is a growing problem. The images are getting people to apprehend that prostitution steal’s the youth out the children’s youth.
The settings of the posters are very important as they inform people as well as homes prostitution can take place publically. The poster with the girl (poster 1) alerts the community children are not safe in their own homes; where they are supposed to be the happiest. The bedroom (which supposedly for a child is a haven) is shown as a dark and gloomy place where the child repulses going to. Comparatively in the poster with boy (poster 2) the setting is in a public place notifying us that child prostitution is taking place right under our noses and we are blindly rejecting it. The public toilets in poster 2 is also dirty this illustrates to me that the children are being forced to such horrifying deeds in unsanitary situations that there health is of no concern to the adults using them.
The fact the boy in poster 2 knows that what is going to be done to him and he knows what he has to do is proven by the sadness shown on his face and the placing of his hands. The boy doesn’t want to undergo the terrifying experience once again. The boy’s eyes are not staring at the man who is about to use him again they are staring at audience; demonstrating that the only way he can be saved from the life of prostitution is if the audience does something. Similarly the girl is placed on a bed and the strap of her vest has been slipped of her shoulder. Illustrating that she has been put through a seductive and perverted experience and the eyes once again are looking at the audience asking for help and to be saved from this dreadful time.
The man in poster 2 is standing wearing a tie, white shirt and black trousers implying he is an office worker of some sort and is stronger which makes the boy helpless and is forced into being a prostitute. It also makes the public aware that anyone could be using the children to fulfill there pedophile needs. The girl in poster 2 looks restless and vulnerable while the man that is asleep and has fulfilled his part in raping the child. Both men are shown us heartless and selfish in the posters which influence the public to empathize towards the children and make the posters more effective.
Barnardo’s has made its point clear of what it demands from the government and public by placing the phrase “Abuse through prostitution STEALS CHILDREN’S LIVES” making its argument clear and persuading the public to do something about the abuse these children go through everyday. Barnardo’s determined campaign was very effective as it uncovered the hidden truth about child prostitution.
Although Barnardo manipulated the images of the children; the images make the feelings inside accentuate on the children’s faces. Causing the public to be more aware of the things these helpless children are put through. The hair although grey is still in a childish style which exhibit s they still have some innocence left and that it may still not be too late to help them. The bruises on the girls leg in poster 1 also shows that she has been through a lot of pain and suffering to make the viewers empathize towards her.
The clothing of the boy in Poster 2 articulates to us the boy maybe well looked after and the mother or guardian of the child is unaware what he goes through. It maybe that the man in poster 2 is a teacher who is abusing his student in the school toilets; which makes the public think that anyone can be doing this to the children. Similarly in poster 1 it maybe a parent or a family member is abusing the child in her own home proving that any child could be going through prostitution but we are unaware of it.
In my opinion Barnardo’s campaign is very effective and has made a dramatic effect on people and the government which has contributed to the society’s problem of child prostitution. Giving me the satisfaction that there are people out there to help neglected, mistreated, abused, and vulnerable children.