NSPCC meets wall of denial as it struggles to break news of teenage abuse
I imagine the response of Nigel Hughes, public relations professional and blogger, to shocking research published by the NSPCC is far from uncommon.
‘The survey of 13 to 17-year-olds found that nearly nine out of ten girls had been in an intimate relationship,’ reports the charity. ‘Of these, one in six said they had been pressured into sexual intercourse and 1 in 16 said they had been raped. Others had been pressured or forced to kiss or sexually touch.’
Quick to write off the findings as a piece of ill thought out PR trickery, Nigel warns this scare mongering will come to reflect badly on the NSPCC.
Sadly this is not a PR survey, as Nigel Hughes suggests, but a serious academic report by the University of Bristol funded by the National Lottery. Moreover, this study’s findings appear to be consistent with other academic research.
There is no rational reason to doubt these findings and Nigel Hughes’ suggestion that the NSPCC is guilty of spinning in pursuit of cheap headlines is offensive. Given that he admits his knowledge is limited – he’s shooting from the hip – his comments are all the more ill-advised.
Yet we are not rational beings and Nigel’s rush to denial is far from unusual.
The NSPCC must be aware that denial is a likely response to its news and this should inform its approach. Rather than headline the most shocking statistics, the charity may have been better advised to lead on the slightly less shocking news that so many teenagers view this sexual violence as normal or with some clear advice for girls who are still learning about what it means to have a boyfriend.
Those cold nasty numbers could then be revealed further down to a better prepared, and hopefully more sympathetic, audience.
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