does anyone understand this?

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On the left side of my screen (or maybe the right from where you all are) there's this childhelp.org banner ad. It has 3 pictures. One is of a girl child smiling and sitting in front of a window with blinds and lettering-- like she's in a public place, and she's happy. The second picture shows a woman in a black shirt with the words "child abuser" on it, and she's making some sort of gesture with her hand, pointing up with her index finger. The third shows the child again, looking up.

Below this is the caption "Trust your instincts, visit childhelp.org for help"

What. does. this. mean? Does it mean that we should recognize child abusers when they aren't doing anything at the moment? By some subtle social cues? (It's 9:00. Do you know where your banner ad is?) What is supposed to be going on in the pictures? I've been looking at this banner ad every time I get on here, and trying to get it, but I don't.

It's on for me too. But the thing is, if some/many/all (not sure which just guessing) people on this site cannot read nonverbal language at all or well, how can they expect that banner to be of any use to people on this site with that issue ? Sorry, but I cannot help you get the banner off.

I actually refreshed the screen, to see what you are talking about. What a STUPID ad! I EVEN tried going to the site. SLOW! BTW I was EVEN aprehensive about asking kids to water my lawn. The last 3 people were boys.(NOT by selection, but simply because it seems most are boys.) The next child to water might be a girl. I don't know what they secretly think about me. I am often not there, and reclusive. Oh well, that is one reason I think I have AS.

I've been wondering about that ad too. I'm NT, a language teacher and probably better than average at interpreting non-verbal communication, but I don't see the point of those images either. There's the obvious incongruity of someone wearing a tshirt featuring the words "child abuser", and I can guess that I'm being asked to trust my instincts and make a report if I suspect a child is being abused, but the ad as a whole is rather mystifying and ineffective. Perhaps it's SUPPOSED to be confusing to grab our attention? Weird!

Jenny

If I assume that the creators were cheap IDIOTS and forget the idea of relative perspective, I could assume that the first girl is either pointing to the girl staring, or the woman doing the gesture. Obviously, we are to believe that the woman is a child abuser. I guess the second girl is in danger.

We don't even know if the girl is looking out another window, or to a person to her right. IS that a hand, and the lower right part of a taller person's arm?

In any event, the idea of "instincts" doesn't often work out. HECK, I remember an old dragnet episode where they almost arrested ONE parent, and found out it was really the OTHER! If they had quickly reacted, the child would have been in MORE danger!

The actual tv spot that they took the stills from can be found at youtube if you search "child abuse prevention - coffee shop". It may or may not make their banner ad make sense.

It does sound confusing. It sounds to me like it's trying to portray a "normal" happy looking child that you wouldn't suspect to be a victim of abuse to make the point that anything could be going on behind the scenes. That would be my guess, but it's certainly not clear.

Okay, so I looked at the original tv spot on youtube, and it says "if only child abuse were this easy to recognize".
So she's wearing a shirt, and that makes her easy to recognize. But nothing else in the tv spot or the ad tips me off that she is a child abuser. so how am I supposed to "trust my instincts"? I don't HAVE instincts, that's why I'm on here! It could just as easily say "USE THE FORCE".

So I assumed there was something other than the shirt that would tip a normal human off as to her being a child abuser; but maybe there isn't? So we should just report everyone and let the authorities sort them out? or what?

I think what it's saying is anyone can be a child abuser, regardless of what they look like, what they do for a living, how much money they have, etc. Basically, you can't tell a child abuser just by looking at them, but there might be other clues.

No No No,

Top picture, hand fliping hair, finger pointing at lips, says, Im a Hottie, this had better be about my sex.

Middle picture, woman who just picked something out of her nose and is looking at it.

Bottom picture, a confused child who does not like the roles she is being taught in school.

She is thinking the Lisa Simpson mantra, "Ten more years, just ten more years."

It shows the hoplessness of childhood, no matter how much she tries, to get an education, become a person, she is doomed to becoming an adult.

The shirt is to show that all adults are child abusers, and gross.

No child would ever chose to be confined in a room with many other childern, and some power mad ruler of the Third Grade.

The sun is shining, the grass is growing, there are zoos, museums, forests, mountains, the beach, but children are kept in cages.

The overall message is, I could of had a real life.

you are in excellent form today, Inventor.
Excellent form.

Inventor, here's someone after your own heart:

The Schoolboy - William Blake

I love to rise in a summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the skylark sings with me.
Oh! what sweet company.

But to go to school in a summer morn,
Oh! it drives all joy away;
Under a cruel eye outworn,
The little ones spend the day
In sighing and dismay.

Ah! then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour,
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower,
Worn through with the dreary shower.

How can the bird that is born for joy
Sit in a cage and sing?
How can a child when fears annoy
But droop his tender wing,
And forget his youthful spring?

O father and mother! if buds are nipped,
And blossoms blown away,
And if the tender plants are stripped
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care’s dismay,

How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer fruits appear?
Or how shall we gather what griefs destroy,
Or bless the mellowing year,
When the blasts of winter appear?

(The cruel irony is this was written in 1789, when most kids still weren't subjected to the joys of "education"...)

NOPE, it PROVES they are idiots! OK guys, THIS is what I get out of it from that video.

1. The pictures are too stupid, look it up.
2. The video is ALSO stupid. It shows a girl that seems chatty, is pulled awy by her mother(dressed with the "child abuser" shirt), and, as she is walking away, looks plaintifly back at the woman she said hi to as if, MAYBE, to say "PLEASE HELP".

EVEN a few extra words in the ad would have helped GREATLY!

The video then says "if only all abuse were as eassy to spot... Trust your instincts".

I'm just adding myself to this thread to say---I have no idea what it really means either. Unless it's spelled out---I'm lost. Seriously, I don't get it. Does the girl see a trusting person (woman in this case) and follow her someplace, then gets abducted? Or is the girl the woman's daughter and doesn't realize her mother abuses her? Gee---I don't know---help .

My take is:

If you suspect someone is a child abuser, you should go to childhelp.org and it will tell you what to do.

This is what I get from "child abuser" on the shirt and the slogan, "Trust your instincts...," later down on the page.

But I should not have to sit here trying to decipher what the ad means - it should be immediately apparent.

Here in New York we have ads telling people to report suspicious behavior on the transit system. They have a very simple slogan, "If you see something, say something." An example is this poster. Much more straightforward and easy to understand.

I agree, the ad is pretty bad. I watched the ad a couple more times - the mother of the child seems to be very gruff and in a hurry and not wanting to talk to her friend. She also kind of yanks the kid out of the restaurant - you would think she would do a little more of the ritual "hey, how are you doing" stuff, or "I am running late, talk later, okay" thing. Perhaps she is afraid of the kid telling on her? Maybe she thinks if the friend gets too close she might notice a bruise or two? Another thing I notice is a subtle dig at the little girl's weight? When the friend comments that the little girl is getting big, and mom says 'yeah, shes big, nice hair cut".

I could see all sorts of other ways to do that commercial, that is for sure. Sad that the basic message gets lost in the context that is supposed to emphasize it.