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Breann Makarus
Dr Freymiller
CAS 137H
12 October 2021

Protecting The Future: Our Children

As a young woman, you are constantly reminded of the dangers of sexual assault. You are

told to dress appropriately, be careful of who you associate yourself with, and never walk alone

at night. It wouldn't occur to most people that a child as young as eight months old would be

raped by her own father (Bhattacheryya, 2020). My two chosen artifacts effectively shine light

on, and spread awareness of the rhetorical situation of child sexual abuse, utilize Ethos, Pathos,

and Logos, and is used to display how the issue has escalated in our current time period.

Primarily, both artifacts are effective in analyzing the issue of child sexual abuse in a

rhetorical context as well as clearly defining the issue through words and symbols. In the first

artifact, there is a young naked girl, no older than eight, who is covered by several hands,

touching her in areas that should not be touched. This indicates to the individuals viewing the

artifact that the child is experiencing sexual violence and abuse. The producer uses this image to

shock the audience, and allows them to reflect on the issue they are witnessing. In addition to

this, the producer includes the message, “certain things hang on forever”, referring to the trauma

and mistrust a child will experience throughout their life and into adulthood. This message

causes viewers to reflect on the consequences sexual abuse has in store for a child, and how it

impacts every aspect of their life. According to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network,

“Those who have suffered multiple traumas and received little parental support may develop

post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Their ability to trust adults to take care of
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them may also be jeopardized” (NCTSN, 2018). This proving that child sexual assault is

associated with lasting effects and consequences.

Similar to the first artifact, the second artifact depicts a nonconsensual sexual encounter

with a child. Illustrated in the artifact is the back of a child with a person’s hand seemingly

grabbing their backside, elucidating that the child is most likely being sexually harassed or

assaulted by an adult or older child. Along with the hand, there is a phone placed in the child’s

back pocket, revealing that the sexual encounter is associated with aspects of a smartphone such

as, text messages, social media platforms, phone calls, and other applications used for

communication. The producer includes the smartphone in the artifact in order to highlight the

dangers associated with young children using social media and other smartphone applications.

The producer’s goal is to convey that young children are impressionable and often do not

understand that people in our society are capable of deception and harm. Additionally, the

producer includes the phrase, “sexual predators can hide in your child’s smartphone”, confirming

that that is the main message the artifact is attempting to reveal. Apart from this, both artifacts

are inter-connected in that each of them discuss the same issue of sexual abuse and violence,

however are broken down to discuss different topics. Analyzing both artifacts simultaneously is

extremely beneficial for research purposes, as well as awareness, as people will begin to learn

various aspects of the main issue, and have a broad understanding of child sexual violence and

why it occurs.

Furthermore, both producers use Ethos, Pathos, as well as Logos within the artifacts in

order to appeal to and persuade their viewers to acknowledge, and understand the main points

they attempt to express. Within the first artifact, the phrase, “certain things hang on forever” is an

example of Ethos as the phrase is used to demonstrate knowledge of the topic, and persuade
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viewers to recognize that child sexual abuse and violence is a prevalent issue within our society.

The phrase is supported by the image of the young child, as it serves as a piece of relevant

evidence to prove the main point. In addition to this, the producer uses Pathos by including the

graphic image of the naked child with hands covering her body. This image is shocking to most

and causes them to feel emotional. They sympathize with the child in the artifact and begin to

develop a personal, and strong feeling towards the issue. Once they’ve felt this connection

towards the topic, they feel motivated as well as obligated to stop the issue, and become active in

creating a lasting solution. The producer’s method is very effective as viewers will share this

artifact with their peers once they feel personally connected to it, therefore spreading

considerable awareness. Lastly, the producer uses Logos in order to persuade the audience

through effective arguments and reasoning, displayed through the images and symbols within the

artifact. First, The producer uses the main setting as a point of argument. The child in the artifact

is located in her home when she is sexually assaulted, proving the producer’s main point that

although difficult to digest, many children have experienced sexual assault at the hands of their

parents or a person close to them (RAINN). This powerful and intense concept persuades

viewers to analyze the piece, and believe the information given to them.

Similar to the first artifact, the producer of the second artifact uses Ethos in order to

persuade their audience. First, the organization who created the artifact, “Innocence En Danger”

is a well known, non-profit organization, meaning that many individuals will automatically view

the organization as credible, and feel that their main message and point is valid. They believe the

organization is less likely to have a personal agenda, and simply wants to protect children

worldwide. In addition to this, the producer includes the message, “sexual predators can hide in

your child’s smartphone”. This shows that the producer has a clear point and displays this point
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through the images in the artifact. When an author or producer has a clear and concise message,

viewers are more likely to believe their argument. Apart from this, the producer uses Pathos in

order to appeal to the viewers emotionally and influence them to become invested in the topic.

The producer includes the graphic image of the child being touched in order to obtain an

emotional reaction from their viewers, in the hope that it will provoke a call-to-action. The

producer’s main goal is to catch viewers off-guard and scare them. In many cases people will

think of their own families and children while viewing the artifact, and make changes in their

own life to protect them and other children. Lastly, the producer uses Logos in order to persuade

their viewers through logical arguments, and evidence. The producer makes the claim that

children are at risk of sexual violence when given access to a smartphone, and illustrates a clear

image of the outcomes that may arise. Viewers are able to recognize this and are persuaded when

viewing the artifact.

Moreover, both artifacts were created in the same time period between the years 2009 and

2013 and provide insight into how child sexual abuse has escalated, and how awareness has

changed within our society. The first artifact including the naked child within her home

challenges the common place of what a home is typically seen as in society. A home is perceived

to be a place where you are nurtured and protected by your family, and generally safe from harm.

This ideology is typically seen in the media and in films where a “happy home” is depicted. This

artifact questions this ideology as it displays a home as a toxic environment where horrible

events such as sexual abuse and violence occur. With developments in technology and social

media, we are able to see behind the scenes and obtain a greater knowledge of what is occurring

in the world. We are able to spread major awareness through a single social media post, as well

as learn about how we can solve prevalent global issues. Social media has allowed our society to
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uncover issues such as child sexual abuse and be informed of specific events happening around

us. This is extremely beneficial when solving these types of social issues as people are able to

take action when they are properly informed of a topic.

Besides this, the second artifact displays how child sexual abuse and violence has become

increasingly prevalent due to smartphones, and the use of social media. The artifact states the

message, “sexual predators can hide in your child’s smartphone”, indicating that when children

have unsupervised possession of a smartphone, negative events may occur. In our society, people

view children as impressionable and vulnerable, and feel they are able to take advantage of them.

According to UNICEF, since children are beginning to spend more time on cell-phones and

social media, their risk of sexual exploitation and abuse has increased (UNICEF, 2021). Children

of younger ages are beginning to use social media and do not always understand the risks of

sharing private information, pictures, and detailed aspects of their life (UNICEF, 2021). This puts

them at risk of being harmed and targeted by other adults. The artifact is effective in conveying

this message by illustrating the image of the child being sexually harassed by a person that they

seemingly met online. This represents the reality that many young children face when exposed to

smartphones and social media at a young age. Ultimately, both artifacts challenge commonplaces

in society and have helped to shift the ideologies of many when they are exposed to the artifacts.

Overall, my chosen artifacts are extremely effective in explaining rhetoric aspects of

child sexual abuse and violence as a social issue, using Ethos, Pathos, and Logos as methods of

persuasion, and explaining how the issue has changed and increased over time, as well as how

social media has contributed to the issue. The artifacts not only spread awareness of the topic,

but open viewers' eyes to the possibility that our world is not as developed as we assume.
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Works Cited

Bhattacheryya, Urmi. Gender-based violence. “Raped at Eight Months Old: the Child the World

Forgot.” Women's Media Center, 19 May 2020,

womensmediacenter.com/women-under-siege/raped-at-eight-months-old-the-child-the-w

orld-forgot.

“Need to Talk? We're Here for You.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/.

Peterson, Sarah. “Effects.” The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 19 Mar. 2018,

www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/sexual-abuse/effects.

“Protecting Children Online.” UNICEF, 8 Feb. 2021,

www.unicef.org/protection/violence-against-children-online.