Israeli celebrities launch global campaign against child abuse
According to numbers provided by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, over the past few months there has been a 41% increase in inquiries regarding abuse and sexual assault of children.
By ALAN ROSENBAUMBar Refaeli and other Israeli celebrities launch #OpenYourEyes campaign (Credit: Courtesy)
A host of Israeli celebrities have launched a media campaign designed to raise awareness about sexual abuse and rape of children in society. The luminaries, including Bar Refaeli, Lior Sushard, Michal Ansky, Rita, Dalia Mazor, Liraz Cherki, Milli Avital, Mira Awad, and many others appear in the #OpenYourEyes Global Campaign Against Child Abuse, removing a mask from their eyes, indicating the necessity that the public ‘open their eyes’ to the threat of sexual abuse of children.The data regarding child abuse in Israel is alarming. According to numbers provided by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, over the past few months there has been a 41% increase in inquiries regarding abuse and sexual assault of children throughout the country. One in five girls is sexually abused, and up to one in seven girls undergoes incest. The rate of sexually abused boys under the age of 12 is identical to the percentage of girls that have been sexually abused. 85% of sexual assault cases are committed by a person known to the victim, and only 6% of sexual assaults are reported to the authorities. Worldwide numbers are similarly high. Every year, more than 200 million children are sexually abused or raped worldwide, and the website of the World Health Organization indicates that 18% of girls and 8% of boys worldwide are sexually abused. The campaign is the culmination of an ongoing and long-standing effort by the “Global Army Against Child Abuse,” movement that is dedicated to fighting this terrible phenomenon while raising the awareness of the issue to government officials, educators, community members, and statesmen.