The immediate context of the picture showcases a child crying with no shirt. Immediately the photographer is trying to tell an audience that the child has been verbally abused and neglected. The wording choking the child suggests verbal abuse. The lack of a shirt suggests the child is neglected. The child is looking up which suggests the verbal abuse they receive is from someone older such as an adult. The targeted audience is adults. The photo identifies its audience as adults from the wordings in the shape of a hand choking the child. The text inscribed on the photo identifies its audience as adults. The following is an analysis of what the photographer aims to communicate through the picture, its argument, its relevance to people today, how it appeals to one’s emotions, and who it is trying to persuade.
Message in the Photo
The text inscribed in the photo beside the child asserts that whichever words one may consider harmless may cause pain in a child. The wordings in the shape of a hand are negative and hurtful words which elicit the cry from the child. The child is also looking up while crying, which is a call out for help. The photo is a call for interventions for child neglect and verbal abuse by eliciting an emotional response from viewers.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
How the Message is Communicated to Viewers
The photo suggests that using negative words causes emotional pain in a child. The child is also not wearing a shirt. This suggests that the child has been neglected and has no one to look after them. The child being neglected could be the reason why he faces verbal abuse. The photo showcases multiple words in the shape of the hand choking the child which suggests the child has experienced verbal abuse for a long time. The child looking up suggests they are calling out for help from an adult.
What is the Argument Persuading to be done or not to be done?
The caption in the photo, “your words have power, use them wisely.” Persuades people to chooses their words carefully when communicating with a child. Given words hold power; inappropriate words may cause emotional pain and hurt to a child. The argument, therefore, beseech people to use positive words when communicating with children and avoid using inappropriate or negative words.
How the Argument is Relevant to People Today
The 21 st century has seen many changes within the society. Child abuse and neglect have been on the rise. The dilution of moral and cultural values has made people fail to see how words can impact a child. Verbal abuses among adults may be considered normal in the today world but will still cause emotional pain in children. The argument in the photo is relevant to people today as it helps shape people’s behavior and attitudes around children. Using negative comments around children will begin to shape their behavior differently and affect how they feel about themselves.
Using words as weapons can destroy a child’s self-esteem, and a child may end up feeling like that cannot do anything right (Zagata, n.d). The argument of the photo urges adults to deviate from negative reinforcement and use positive reinforcement. Being negative will teach the child to be negative as well. A persistent negative attitude towards children creates aggressive and socially withdrawn children (Zagata, n.d). It may also eventually make children act out for attention. The argument, therefore, urges adults to think before they speak to a child and to keep their emotions in check.
How Does the Photo Appeal to one’s Emotions?
The context of the photo is heartbreaking. The child is depicted as crying and helpless. Furthermore, there are insulting words in the shape of a hand choking the child which suggests the child has been verbally abused on multiple occasions. The photo also elicits sympathetic feelings towards the helpless and abused child. Adults are naturally primed to respond and try to help a child who is crying. The photo also elicits feelings of distress for the conditions the child is going through. It makes people want to help out or ease the child’s situation. One can also be upset at how an adult can cause harm to the child through verbal abuse. The hurtful words in the shape of a hand are quite a considerable number suggesting the child has gone through difficult times and experiences with verbal abuse. The caption in the photo invokes an emotional response of aggregability. After seeing the child cry due to the hurtful words and negligence, one agrees that one should choose their words when dealing with children.
Who is Persuaded by the Argument?
The photo persuades adults as they are the ones in a position to initiate change. Children are the responsibility of adults and therefore, require attention and proper care. The argument of the photo persuades adults to use positive reinforcement in correcting children. It also persuades adults to prevent child neglect by providing clothing and nourishment to children. Adults are persuaded to prevent child neglect and protect a child from exposures to dangers, including cold as depicted in the photo. The argument persuades adults to recognize child emotional abuse. Emotional abuse of the child involves belittling, shaming, humiliating, and telling children they are worthless or bad (Smith, Robinson, & Segal, 2019). Emotional abuse can severely damage a child’s mental and social development. The argument persuades adults to recognize and report child abuse and neglect.
References
Salem E. (“n.d”). Your Words have Power Use them Wisely. Flickr. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/80298562@N08/8199131075
Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2019). Child Abuse and Neglect. Retrieved 12/09/2019 from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect.htm
Zagata, D. (“n.d”). How do Negative Comments Affect a Child’s Behavior? Retrieved 12/09/2019 from https://living.thebump.com/negative-comments-affect-childs-behavior-15250.html
