The Empowering Children Foundation has launched a new campaign. Its main element is the mini-series “Not indifferent”, which is intended to encourage people to respond to violence against children. – We see that someone is silent, so we also remain silent, and when we see that someone is acting, we also act, so the point here is to spread good intentions and send them into the world – says actor Jakub Gierszał, who starred in the miniseries.
The mini-series “Not indifferent” by the Empowering Children Foundation reminds us that their health and even life often depend on the response to violence against children.
– We see that someone is silent, we also remain silent, and when we see that someone is acting, we also act, so the point here is to spread good intentions and send them into the world – says actor Jakub Gierszał, who starred in the mini-series “Not Obtained”. . – If you don’t react at a given moment, if you don’t do anything, the child will remain in this circle of violence all the time. No one will help him because the child will not defend himself – points out Monika Kamińska from the Empowering Children Foundation.
In October, a 4-month-old abused girl was taken to a hospital in Rzeszów with broken arms and legs.. When the police arrested her parents, doctors saved the child’s life. – He is an active child, a fed child, a child who will be discharged from the hospital in the near future – informs Tomasz Warchoł from the Provincial Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Rzeszów.
A four-month-old girl is fighting for her life in hospital. The child’s parents were arrested for three monthsRenata Kijowska/Fakty TVN
More than half of Poles do not agree to violence against children
One in three children in Poland has experienced at least one form of violence – say the authors of the campaign.
– Even a small reaction can change a lot, even if we stop, look, say that it can’t be done – says Łukasz Wojtasik from the Empowering Children Foundation. – If we do not react, we are complicit in the crime. What can (the aggressor – editor’s note) do (to us – editor’s note)? He may call us names, he may shout at us, he may say: “take care of your life,” adds Iwona Wiśniewska, a psychologist from the Specialized Support Center for Persons Suffering Domestic Violence in Krakow.
Thanks to, among other things, social campaigns, consent to violence against children has decreased. More than half of Poles do not agree to it. – It is very important for people to have a sense of security that if they report a given situation, they are not the ones who will have problems with it. (…) Law enforcement agencies and the justice system should take care of the rest – says Marek Michalak, chairman of the International Janusz Korczak Association, Ombudsman for Children in 2008-2018.
In the response miniseries, it turns out there was a mistake. The child screamed in pain during rehabilitation, not beatings. – What if I make a mistake? We show that nothing. It’s better to make a mistake several times than to refrain from reacting once when a child is being harmed, emphasizes Wojtasik.
If you are experiencing emotional problems and would like advice or support, here you will find a list of organizations offering professional help. In a situation of immediate threat to life, call 997 or 112
Main photo source: We Empower Children Foundation