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Barnardos latest campaign shows victims of child abuse hiding in plain sight

Tax time is unarguably the most competitive time of year for charities vying for donor attention. Hence Barnardos Australia engaged We Are Otter to doing something completely different to stand out from the crowd.

When it came to Barnardos work, what stood out to the We Are Otter creative team was children suffering sexual abuse do whatever they can to avoid attracting attention. In other words, they try to make themselves invisible.

The team built a campaign reflecting this by capturing children in various everyday scenes where the viewer has to find them. To tell this story and draw the audience in, the campaign focuses on three scenes all shot within the same house. It is a normal looking home, showing that child abuse can happen in familiar surroundings. Clever set design tells a story of family history in each scene, with colour building mood and tone.

The 30 second ad opens on a typical kitchen at breakfast time, then moves to a child’s bedroom in the mid-afternoon and then to a loungeroom in the late evening. Each of these rooms appear empty, but as the camera tracks, we see a child hiding in plain sight. The child is stock still with a face devoid of expression. The audience is compelled to empathise with the child trapped in this world of abuse, driving them to take immediate action. The voiceover explains:

Sometimes it’s those we can’t see who need our help the most

At home, children suffering from sexual abuse will do anything to avoid attention

Barnardos fights for children to be seen and protected

So they never have to hide again

The campaign shows the viewer that Barnardos is working hard to help children feel safe and seen, so they don’t need to hide from abuse.

Says Simon Jarosz and Jen Peace, We Are Otter: “For too long those the subject of sexual abuse has been in ‘the dark’, we were keen to literally show how Barnardos helps people step out from the shadows. This campaign is not a typical campaign designed to drive pity from hopelessness, rather, it’s about showing how Barnardos empowers and equips those affected to move forward toward a more optimistic future.”

We Are Otter also worked with Barnardos to help define and articulate their unique selling proposition (USP) as Fearlessly Optimistic in changing children’s lives to ensure they reach their brightest future.

This is the first campaign delivered under this new USP and the first time Barnardos have used a full production unit to create content for a fundraising appeal. It was only made possible thanks to We Are Otter and their production partners going the extra mile, investing time and effort over and above for such an important cause they truly believe in.

The campaign is being pushed out across YouTube, online display banners, paid social (Facebook & Instagram) and paid search.

This article first appeared in Campaign Brief here

Today marks the start of National Families Week (15-21 May) and the final week of the Federal Election campaign. It’s a time when politicians appeal to ‘working families’ about their vision for the future. Families are vital for children to be able to grow up safely and thrive. No doubt many families will welcome some short-term financial relief on offer as cost of living pressures rise. What we need even more than that is a long-term plan to ensure success of the next generation.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of National Families Week’s, which is a good time to reflect on the great work that has been done over those years by both government, community and non-government organisations to keep children safe. However, we also need to recognise how much more work there is still to do to reduce child abuse and neglect and its intergenerational impacts.

All children and young people in Australia have the right to grow up safe, connected and supported in their family, community and culture. They have the right to grow up in an environment that enables them to reach their full potential. It’s our responsibility to ensure this is front and centre in social policy.

When families in our communities experience domestic and family violence, poverty, alcohol and other drug use, mental health issues or homelessness, it is too often the children who suffer most. And they suffer silently. In these circumstances, early support is critical to strengthen families and help children to thrive. This includes helping children, young people and families to access material basics, health services and education, which is their fundamental right.

The Australian Government is currently developing the next stages of both the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children and the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. Within these frameworks, the focus must always be on the best interests of the child which is only achieved by really listening to the voices of children and young people. While this important policy work takes place, we need leaders to who will take these frameworks seriously. This is more than just a policy wish list. It’s an investment in our collective future.

Support services for vulnerable children and their families need to be developed at a local level, with programs that are evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally safe and inclusive. Children, young people, families and communities having a direct role in policy making and implementation is essential.

And in order to address the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care, it is vital that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations have increased say in decision-making, combined with priority allocation of resources to keep children on land, in culture, and within community. Building capacity in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce in the child and family sector is also vital to support increased focus on cultural safety and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led services.

In order to overcome service gaps in our community, a collective and coordinated approach between services involving information sharing, monitoring and evaluation to achieve improved outcomes for children, young people and families is essential. As the cost of living rises, the domestic violence crisis continues and services are stretched, and children and young people are falling through the cracks. Closing these gaps and providing a greater investment in services will mean more children can safely remain at home with their families and local communities. It will mean they can do more than just survive, they will thrive.

On the eve of this election, Barnardos call for political parties and candidates to make the commitment to enact these plans and frameworks in real partnership with state and territory jurisdictions. Without strong families and strong communities, our children and young people cannot thrive.

Barnardos youth worker Taylor Gleeson shares insights about the challenges and issues facing the young people in our community.

I joined Barnardos in April 2021 and currently I am working in the Targeted Early Intervention and Streetwork Programs in the Sydney Youth Services (SYS) team. I grew up in the St George area, coming from a single parent family. Growing up, I struggled with mental health for a long time as well as having other life experiences that shaped who I am today.

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a child. When I was 13-15 years old, I spent a lot of time at Belmore Youth Resource Centre for school holiday programs. I met a great youth worker named Jo. I ended up in youth work because I saw the impact she had on young people and that’s what I wanted to do for others who were like me.

When I returned to the Belmore Youth Resource Centre to do a work placement, the team were so supportive. A year later an opportunity was flagged at Barnardos so I applied and here I am!

The most rewarding part of my work is seeing young people overcome challenges and being on that journey with them, and having them trust you enough to come to you for anything.

One of the hardest aspects of my work is seeing young people go through tough times or trauma and the emotional toll it takes on them. The stereotype young people have in society is quite negative so it’s about advocating for them and explaining why young people act the way they do instead of making assumptions.

I think that the main issues facing young people today are mental health, unemployment rates, alcohol and other drugs and discrimination. One thing I wish adults better understood about young people is how important it is to listen and communicate with young people, not just talk at them. Just acknowledging their experiences/emotions and coming from a place of empathy will really help break down barriers.

I feel pretty lucky to work at Barnardos. We put the young person at the very centre of what we do and this connects with my core beliefs. We advocate for our young people and give them the opportunity to use their voice. By listening to young people, we can then address their needs and concerns. It’s very empowering to be able to help younger people go through hard times knowing that I was their age not too long ago. I get to reflect on where I was at their age, and it can be very grounding.

Young people are resilient and our future, so let’s look out for them, they’re going through a lot too so let’s not judge. 😊

We are proud to present our brand new foster care ad premiering this week across Youtube, radio and online.

Thanks to the video creation experts at P2. Content Creators. for designing this beautiful and powerful animated video to help us find more foster carers for children in need.