Affection vs. Abuse
Would this picture lead you to believe that something is wrong? Take a look at this article, then look at this picture again. Worried?
According to the Stop It Now campaign, you should be worried. I understand that there is a problem with s*xual abuse in our society and it needs to be stopped. But I do have problems with an organization placing billboards of an adult holding a child’s hand and saying that something must be wrong with that picture. The actual caption below the picture reads, “It doesn’t feel right when I see them together.” On the Stop It Now website, there is a picture of a woman hugging a child with the caption “Stop it now!” above the picture and, “Together we can prevent the s*xual abuse of children,” below the picture.
How, exactly, do they expect for parents to show their children love and affection if they cannot hug them? How can they keep track of them in a crowd without holding their hand? Should they not hold hands when they pray together as a family, because they might promote an image of abuse? If you think these ideas are far fetched, just think about discipline for a moment. There was a time when spanking was not uncommon or thought of as abuse. Then there were child abuse awareness campaigns that promoted the idea that any physical punishment of a child must be abuse. Now, parents dare not implement corporal punishment of their children, especially in public, because of insinuations of abuse. Will this particular campaign have negative ramifications when it comes to expressing love toward children? Will it spur us to become so paranoid that we take a hands-off approach toward children and that all physical affection becomes suspect in the way that all physical discipline has? I hope not.
The picture posted above is of my husband and my nephew during a family outing. For the record, my husband is fantastic with children. My nephew is always excited and happy to see his uncle. I think it is a beautiful representation of a healthy relationship and trust. But in our world today, would this picture lead someone to suspect something is wrong?
It is sad how some people can take something so beautiful and tarnish it. Meanwhile among adults and teens promiscuity is rampant. Maybe if s*xuality was not so prominent in our culture these deviant behaviors would not be so prevalent either.
