Here's a new one: coloring books and comics to teach kids about molestation and sexual abuse by priests. Check out this article that I first found on the Spanish newspaper El Mundo and then on Newsweek. It explains how certain Catholic schools in New York are distributing these fun cartoons for kids to color and read while instilling some fear about sexual predators and also, continuing to avoid talking to children about things that are unconfortable for adults. The example reprinted in Newsweek warns children against being alone in a closed room with an adult, accompanied by a picture of a waving priest. It advertises to children that people they know and trust, like priests and nuns and bishops, can be the ones who are unsafe to be alone with. But it's not just priests the children must worry about, it's also online predators. And in the comic, the kids can even color in the online predator with his exposed chest hair. If the medium is the message, then what exactly is being said here?
http://www.newsweek.com/id/73270
for another perspective, here's the El Mundo version:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/12/05/internacional/1196873786.html
(it may be possible to translate the article into English, but I'm unsure how to do it).
Comments (1)
You totally beat me to this one. I can't imagine what kind of an effect this will have on the minds of children. Sexual predation is a problem (albeit relatively uncommon) but to teach kids about it through coloring books rather than talking to them does not put the issue in the right context or explain it in the way that children need. Warning kids about strangers may also not be effective considering that most sexual assaults of children are committed by family or family friends.
Posted by dmgreene | December 5, 2007 5:46 PM
Posted on December 5, 2007 17:46