By K Gooden
Captions:
Abuse through prostitution steals children’s lives. (top corner)
Help end this obscenity. (bottom)
Background Information
This image was created by Barnardo’s, an organization set up to help vulnerable children.
This image was made, along with many others like it, to speak out against child prostitution.
Ethos
Barnardo’s is a credible source.
“Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK through the work of their projects, their campaigning and their research expertise.”
Pathos
The viewer has sympathy for the child caught up in prostitution. Seeing her in this pitiful situation urges the viewer to want to help the child get out of prostitution.
Everyone knows that child abuse is wrong, and is even more sickening when it is through prostitution.
Logos
Child abuse is wrong, whether it is through verbal abuse, beating, or prostitution.
No child should have to be in this situation.
Audience
The intended audience is citizens of the UK, but anyone who knows a child abused through prostitution or wants to help children who are abused through prostitution can appeal to this picture.
Focus
The focus of the image is the child’s face, posture, and body language. The girl has the face of an elderly woman. This is disturbing and unusual, causing it to stand out. She looks exhausted, as if she has had the life drained out of her. By the way she has her hands together and her toes together, the viewer feels a sense of innocence radiating from the child.
Lighting
The light in the top right-hand corner gives a sense of hope for the child. It is on the same side of the picture as the words used to convince the audience to help.
Color
The colors in the image are all neutral colors. This effect gives the image a lifeless look, just like the child is lifeless by being abused through prostitution.
If the walls were painted a bright color and the blanket had a wild pattern on it, how would the message of the image change?
Contrast
The contrast of the child’s skin against the blanket shows how her body is aging. The prostitution is stealing her childhood and making her age faster than she should.
Look at how her feet are purple.
The man’s skin looks younger and healthier than the young girl’s skin.
What if?
What if the man in the picture’s face was showing?
The effect of the image would not be as strong. If the man’s face were showing, the viewer might only associate a child abuser with the image the man portrayed, not realizing an abuser could be anyone, even someone you know.
Same effect?
Without the words, the audience may or may not understand the situation the child is in.
If the viewer could understand what was going on, without the words, he or she might want to help a child that he/she knows is in this situation, but now there is no phone number for the viewer to call to seek help.
"Barnardos child prostitution | Ads of the World™." Ads of the World™ | Creative Advertising Archive & Community. Barnardo's, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. <http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/barnardos_child_prostitution>.
"Barnardo's | Child Poverty | Child Abuse | Young Carers | Children | Children's Charities." Barnardo's | Child Poverty | Child Abuse | Young Carers | Children | Children's Charities. Barnardo's, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. <http://www.barnardos.org.uk//>.
