Child abuse telecast floods national hotline - 'Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse' hosted by Oprah Winfrey

Children Today,  March-April, 1992  by Patricia Rowe

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Five days after the historic multi-network airing of die documentary, Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse," hosted by award winning actress/talk show host and producer Oprah Winfrey, more than 112,000 calls were received by the Childhelp/IOF Foresters National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD). On Friday, September 4, 1992, the special aired simultaneously on the CBS and NBC Television Networks, and on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

This was the first time in the history of television that a non-news event was carried in primetime by three different broadcast networks at the same time. The hotline number, which was shown three times during the program, received the outpouring of calls between the first Friday night telecast and the following September 6 Sunday night rebroadcast on ABC. Since then, a heavy response continues. Hotline Director Sue A. Meier reports that the overall response "has far exceeded anyone's imagination."

Executive produced and co-written by Oscar and Emmy Award-winning Arnold Shapiro ("Scared Straight!"/"Rescue 911"), "Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse" focused on stopping and preventing the three major types of abuse: sexual, physical and emotional. Shapiro says, "For child abuse to continue, victims must remain both scared and silent - hence, our tide. Our goal is to help everyone break the silence, speak out, and stop further pain, injury and death. As individuals and as a society, we cannot co-exist with any form of child abuse"

According to CBS Research, the "Scared Silent" Friday night three-network simulcast, coupled with Sunday night's ABC rebroadcast, was viewed by 45 million people. This number is exclusive of the September 4 Canadian simulcast on the Global TV Network and the worldwide weekend telecast over Armed Forces Radio and Television.

"Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse" spotlighted a half dozen true stories of intergenerational child abuse, and profiled both the victims and the perpetrators to learn first-hand how abuse starts and how it can be stopped. Shapiro observes that, without exception, die hundreds of perpetrators interviewed for the film and all those featured were themselves victims of childhood abuse.

Oprah Winfrey, herself a victim of child abuse and a force behind the National Child Protection Act, is convinced that what is not included in the tally of calls tabulated are those people who couldn't get through on the crowded phone lines. She believes that "there are thousands more who will no longer remain silent" Winfrey's hope is that the film has "empowered children, and adult children everywhere so they know they do not have to stand alone. It's time to stop the pain and suffering of children, and make the world a safer place for all of us."

Shapiro notes that "the most shocking crisis calls were from young children, calling in fear, wanting to escape the pain of physical or sexual abuse." Producing the film, Shapiro says, helped him realize how prevalent all forms of child abuse are in all socio-economic groups; that the vast majority of abuse is perpetrated by parents and other close relatives; and that there is a high incidence of victims who become abusers and create new victims, perpetuating the cycle of pain and destruction. "The undeniable reality," Shapiro concludes, "is that all of us are victims of child abuse because we all pay the price in dealing with victims who act out their rage and hurt on society. What begins as a family crisis becomes society's burden, expense and responsibility."

"Scared Silent" was funded by USAA, a full services financial institution based in San Antonio, Texas. According to USAA Chairman Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott, "Scared Silent" and the public response to it demonstrate "that the film made Americans more aware of child abuse than ever before. This program must not be an ending, but a beginning to end child abuse."

In addition to the Childhelp hotline, local and state child abuse organizations report that their local phone lines were jammed throughout the Labor Day weekend and estimate that tens of thousands of calls were received. Sara O'Meara, Founder and Chairman of CHILD-HELP USA and the privately-funded hotline, says, "We at Childhelp are extremely proud to have been a part of the "Scared Silent" TV production in its effort to bring this problem to light and assist the victims of child abuse and neglect."

A videotape copy of "Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse" can be ordered by mailing a check or money order in the amount of $8.50 (U.S. price), or $15.50 (International price, which includes $7.00 for postage and handling charges) to: "Scared Silent' Videotape, P.O. Box 933022, Los Angeles, California 90093. A free brochure on how to recognize, stop, and prevent child abuse is available by sending a legal-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "Scared Silent" Brochure, National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, P.O. Box 2866, Chicago, Illinois 60690.

COPYRIGHT 1992 U.S. Government Printing Office
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