'The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing.' Albert Einstein

 

One Child International and Child AbuseWatch advocate on behalf of abused children. Our campaigns are national and international in nature. In addition to writing letters and talking to the media we provide support in many other less public ways. For example, when asked we accompany families to court in abuse cases, talk to law enforcement, the media examiner. We provide parents with emergency needs plus referrals when urgent help is needed. We get involved in more prominent issues some of which are recorded below.

1. Information campaign: Child Sexual Abuse Explained (for concerned parents) 2010 - 2011
This campaign is the result of feedback we have received from law enforcement and child advocates who are frustrated about the poor quality of information available to parents about child sexual abuse. It is presented in the form of a brochure (see pdf here) which explains in plain language all about child sexual abuse. The brochure puts aside safe language and allows readers to see, perhaps for the first time, the various and harsh aspects of this type of abuse. The campaign is free to the end user be that a member of the public, victim services advocates, law enforcement, health departments, rape crisis centers. The initial print run was allocated on four days. The brochure is available in English, Spanish and French. Get a copy by sending your name and address to info@abusewatch.net. Larger quantities of 50 or 400 are available at no charge.

2. Letter to Irish Bishop Dennis Brennan (Read) March 2010
In response to Bishop Brennan's decision to seek funds from parishioners to pay for the cost of defending child abuse cases, Child AbuseWatch wrote to him.  We advised him of the injustice of his asking the very people who had been abused to pay for the costs involved. No response received; letter was published in a newspaper in the Bishops parish. A copy was sent to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in Dublin.

3. Pete Townshend, the NFL and  the Super Bowl XLIV half time Show (read) 2009 -2010
In the Fall of 2009 the National Football League announced that they had invited the British band the WHO to play the half time show at the upcoming Super Bowl XLIV half time show in Miami. Child AbuseWatch wrote to Roger Goodell  the EVP of the NFL and Mark Emkes, President of the shows sponsor Bridgestone objecting to the invitation of Pete Townhend to paly. Townshend is a UK registered sex offender, a result of his pleading guilty to accessing online child pornography. Letters were also sent Mr. Shoshi Arakawa, Bridgestone Chairman in Japan all of the shows sponsors highlighting the fact that they were knowingly hiring a child ex offender. The news was picked up by the media around the U.S. and the world. An estimated audience of 33 million people listened or read details of the objection. Countless radio and TV interviews were given in the U.S. and Internationally. The campaign was joined by child advocacy group Protect Our Children.

4. Roman Polanski: film director, producer, actor, pedophile 2009 - 2010 (Read)

5. TLC/Discovery Jon & Kate plus 8. (Read) 2009 - 2010
In 2009 Child AbuseWatch objected to the use of the Gosselin children in the J&K+8 show. The children were not recognized as actors, rather as participants. As such they were un-protected by state law.  TLC had not received child labor permits to ensure the children's interests - including compensation - would be overseen by a third party.  CAN further objected to the televising of the parents divorce and the ensuing emotional abuse that this caused the Gosselin children. In 2010 TLC received adequate permitting and the children are now represented. The original show was taken off the air in the Fall of 2009 and has been replaced with a new one without the dad.

6. Pete Townshend and the WHO received the Kennedy center award (Read) December 2008
The WHO were given an award by the Kennedy Center. Child AbuseWatch wrote to the center to object as Pete Townshend was a registered sex offender in the UK for the possession of child pornography.

7. Hewlett Packard "Touch' Ad Campaign (Read) Fall 2008
In the Fall of 2008 Hewlett Packard launched their new 'Touch' screen TV. A multi-million dollar campaign was rolled out. The background music they used was, suitably, 'Do you wanna touch?' composed by Gary Glitter and performed by Joan Jett. Child AbuseWatch wrote to Mark Hurd, the CEO of HP and their board of directors advising them that the songs composer and the beneficiary of royalties, Gary Glitter was a convicted pedophile and child abuser who had recently been released from jail in the Far East. We requested that in light of this information they remove the song. When they did not respond we told them that we would provide a press release to the media voicing our concerns about the song's use, the payment of royalties to a child sex offender and HP's lack of response. A press release was issued and was picked up world wide by over 300 media outlets leading to HP's withdrawal of the commercial. Extensive media coverage was provided in the UK.