Background
Child abuse is one of the most underserved and neglected public health issues in the US because it is hidden from the eyes of the public. Child abuse refers to the exposure of children to physical, emotional, and environmental conditions that derail their development. The most common maltreatment is using children for economic benefits. However, child abuse can exist in several other forms including molestation, battering, overworking, bullying, and rape.
The United States government takes child mistreatment cases and associated misdemeanors seriously. In conjunction with the CDC, the government adopts evidence-based practices like providing community resources to create awareness and inform individuals of the issue and the need to counter its adversities. Moreover, government authorities have developed policies to limit child abuse, including making updates to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the largest legislation addressing the fair and ethical treatment of children. According to Zeanah & Humphreys (2018), the main causes of child maltreatment are poor parenting skills, domestic violence, marital issues, poverty, substance abuse, and mental illness. Unfortunately, these issues disproportionately affect populations, meaning that children in marginalized areas are at higher risk of neglect and child abuse.
Child mistreatment is rooted in local communities in the US with several adverse reparations for children and the future of society. In 2019, one out of seven children reported neglect and child abuse but the numbers are substantially high because most cases are never reported. In 2020, 1,750 children in the US lost their lives due to child abuse-related issues. Martinkevich et al., (2020) suggest that poverty is the main factor that exposes children to ill-treatment because it robs them of the resources to live a normal life. According to their study, child harm cases are five times higher in communities with a low socioeconomic status than in more financially stable communities. Hence, most child abuse victims suffer in silence because they exist in unsupportive environments. Child abuse has become a costly problem in the US due to its impact on the lifetime economic burden. In 2018, the government’s expenditure on child abuse cases surpassed $592 billion, which rivals critical community health issues like diabetes and heart disease (Peterson et al., 2018). Thus, it is critical to limit child mistreatment before it becomes a norm because it erodes social and societal values.
Community Health Nursing Social Media Campaign Strategy to Prevent Child Abuse
Unreliable reporting solutions and the fear of reparations are some reasons why most child abuse cases in the community go unheard. Therefore, a reliable community health social media campaign against child maltreatment should incorporate a toll-free helpline and facilitate effective communication channels to help identify these cases and take action. The main objectives of the social media strategy are creating awareness about child abuse in communities and informing victims of the possible solutions to report these acts and seek assistance (Martinkevich et al., 2020). Thus, the marketing interventions will target school-going children, their parents, and guardians because they can assist nurses and relevant authorities to identify perpetrators and victims.
Although there are numerous social media platforms on the internet, the program will use Facebook and Instagram because of their popularity over other platforms, their ease of use, and unlimited marketing and promotion initiatives. Facebook and Instagram are pioneers in the social media industry. As a result, they have amassed a vast following, thus promising a wider reach of the target market. Moreover, the two platforms offer unmatched features and capabilities, including live chats, messaging, video calls, recordings, and voice calls (Babvey et al., 2021). Generally, the public health initiatives aim to uncover the vice of child abuse in local communities and explain to the general population what constitutes the act and its consequences. Hence, the program will benefit children and the community by creating awareness of the implications of child abuse, providing solutions to report the offense, and encouraging victims of child abuse to come out and seek help as soon as possible.
One of the most reliable strategies to enhance health marketing initiatives on social media is building online communities. According to Westman (2019), individuals seek refuge in others who have had similar experiences as them or people who are willing to listen and address the issue. Therefore, an online community can help attract victims, witnesses, and advocates who will work together against child abuse in their jurisdictions. In addition, the marketing initiatives can take advantage of paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram as they are effective in delivering the message to the right group of people in a short time. Moreover, the top priority of the marketing campaign will be to enhance communication and identify victims. Therefore, all administrators will prioritize effective communication with all other stakeholders.
Social Media Campaign Implementation Plan
A community health strategy to tackle child abuse requires the efforts of several shareholders. The main stakeholders in the project are nurses, public health workers, and community health workers who will provide professional assistance to victims experiencing child abuse. These services will include medical treatment, relocation to better living conditions, counselling, and health development (Martinkevich et al., 2020). Additionally, the program will seek the help of government institutions and non-governmental organizations dealing with child welfare. These groups will assist the program managers to access resources and authorizations to conduct the project. Moreover, the program will liaise with local and community leaders to help mobilize individuals and encourage them to contribute to the movement. Hence, these parties will collaborate to ensure that all processes are seamless.
The initiatives will be divided into three phases, set to run for three months starting from July. In the first month, the campaigners will create awareness through the community social health workers and social media channels to inform people of the initiatives. In the second month, the campaign will collect data on the rates of child abuse in the community and evaluate all reported and associated cases. In the third month, the project will collaborate with relevant authorities to deal with more severe child abuse and neglect cases. Subsequently, the program will evaluate its effectiveness by analyzing indicators like the number of newly reported cases, the number of children set up in safer homes, and the number of children seeking justice (Westman, 2019). In addition, the program will evaluate the level of community engagement with the project. The project is forecasted to cost about $100,000, which it will obtain by raising funds from charity sponsors and well-wishers.
Reflection
Child abuse is detrimental to the positive development of children because it exposes them to adverse emotional, mental, and environmental conditions. However, most child abuse cases are never addressed, resulting in negative consequences for children. Although the US has strict laws against child labor, neglect, and abuse, social disparities like poverty contribute to marginalization, thus encouraging the misdemeanor. However, ensuring the safety of children requires a community effort. Therefore, creating awareness of the essence of keeping children safe by reporting all child mistreatment cases can help counter child maltreatment issues. That being said, Facebook and Instagram are reliable tools for a community health awareness strategy because they have a massive following and unique features. Although funding a public health initiative might be challenging, several organizations prioritize issues like child health and wellness. Hence, it is easier to work with these organizations for resources and finances.
References
Babvey, P., Capela, F., Cappa, C., Lipizzi, C., Petrowski, N., & Ramirez-Marquez, J. (2021). Using social media data for assessing children’s exposure to violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Child Abuse & Neglect, 116, 104747. Web.
Martinkevich, P., Larsen, L. L., Græsholt-Knudsen, T., Hesthaven, G., Hellfritzsch, M. B., Petersen, K. K.,… & Rölfing, J. D. (2020). Physical child abuse demands increased awareness during health and socioeconomic crises like COVID-19: a review and education material. Acta orthopaedica, 91(5), 527-533. Web.
Peterson, C., Florence, C., & Klevens, J. (2018). The economic burden of child maltreatment in The United States, 2015. Child abuse & neglect, 86, 178-183. Web.
Westman, J. C. (2019). Child abuse and neglect in the United States. In Dealing with Child Abuse and Neglect as Public Health Problems (pp. 27-30). Springer, Cham.
Zeanah, C. H., & Humphreys, K. L. (2018). Child abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(9), 637-644. Web.