Creating Strengths-based Messaging for Family Support
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The document outlines strategies for creating strengths-based messaging to prevent child abuse and neglect, emphasizing the importance of reframing childhood adversity as a collective societal issue. Key goals include broadening public understanding, fostering conversation about upstream solutions, and promoting resilience in families. It provides practical messaging techniques and resources for effective communication aimed at eliciting action among target audiences.
Creating Strengths-based Messaging for Family Support
- 1. Creating Strengths-based Messaging for FamilySupport Jim McKay Children’s Trust Fund Alliance Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024
- 2. Objectives • Review changes in messaging about prevention of child abuse and neglect • Strategic messaging for different audiences • Resources from the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance and other national partners • Policy Update
- 4. March 22, 2021 Supported by: Prevent Child Abuse America Alliance for Strong Communities &Families Council on Accreditation Reframing Childhood Adversity Promoting Upstream Approaches Julie Sweetland, PhD Senior Advisor
- 5. Children’sadvocates havelong used strategic framingforchange A moral issue An American issue A public health issue
- 6. Issue is seen as important, but intractable Explosion of research has added newlanguage, newlenses Demand for strength-based, justice-oriented approaches We need to shift from the problem to solutions We need to coordinate language at some level - or we will undermine ourselves and each other We need effective ways to make the case for bold change Nowis the timetoreposition childhoodadversity again
- 7. ©2021 FrameWorks Institute Reframing goals – Broaden the public’s mental model of childhood adversity and its effects – Build understanding of big-picture causes of childhood adversity – Shift attitudes toward collective responsibility and collective efficacy – Cultivate more conversation around upstream solutions (promotion & prevention) – Build support for big-picture, upstream approaches
- 8. preventable problem Emphasize the dynamism of child/ youth development. public issue Make the story one where we all have a stake and role in outcomes that matter. Show how external conditions get “under the skin” to shape health, development, and outcomes. Talk about preventing an “overload of stress” on families. Bring the concept of prevention to life. solvable problem Don’t talk about the impact of adversity without also raising people’s capacity for resilience. Always include a promising or proven collective solution.
- 9. Why is framing important? When communication is inadequate, people default to the “pictures in their heads.” When communication is effective, people can see an issue from a different perspective.
- 10. GUJ I D APLISF
- 11. GUJ I D APLISF
- 12. What is causing these cattle to get sick?
- 13. What is causing these cattle to get sick?
- 14. Let’scarefully choose the links in our explanatorychains Two versions of the “ACE Pyramid” graphic, originally titled “Mechanism by which Adverse Childhood Experiences influence health and wellbeing across the lifespan” Source: Centers for Disease Control.
- 15. Sharing the sciencein waysthatdrive policy thinking Two suggested “framing pyramids” for public education, advocacy, and outreach Loss frame Gain frame
- 16. Youth Law Center • National Alliance of Children’s Trust & Prevention Funds • Casey Family Programs
- 17. Youth Law Center • National Alliance of Children’s Trust & Prevention Funds • Casey Family Programs
- 18. When the message is wrong, we can trigger a MINEFIELD of perceptions that HURT our cause. Lack of understanding Broken system Blame game
- 19. Example: Anti-Smoking Movement Smoking as personal vice Smoking as defective, harmful product Bad behavior of Individuals Bad behavior of companies Issue of individualism and freedom of choice Issue of manipulation of free will through intentional addiction Vital industry Corrupt industry Fix the Person: Individual responsibility Fix the Condition: Societal responsibility to protect consumers
- 20. The Frame We’ve Got The Frame We Need Values of Safety and Protection of Children Values of Stewardship/Responsibility for next generation; Innovation in solving tough problems Causes are personal / private Causes are contextual / systemic Solution is to fix the person Solutions are developmental: reduction of toxic stress Violence is inevitable Communities can collaborate/provide resources in ways that reduce risk Crisis framing/criminal atrocities dominate news stories Translation of developmental science via causal stories Not my problem Collective problem with solutions Dominant Frame for Child Abuse Prevention
- 21. preventable problem Emphasize the dynamism of child/ youth development. public issue Make the story one where we all have a stake and role in outcomes that matter. Show how external conditions get “under the skin” to shape health, development, and outcomes. Talk about preventing an “overload of stress” on families. Bring the concept of prevention to life. solvable problem Don’t talk about the impact of adversity without also raising people’s capacity for resilience. Always include a promising or proven collective solution.
- 22. © 2020 FrameWorks Institute Overload “Just as a vehicle can only bear so much weight before it stops moving forward, challenging life circumstances can overburden parents, making it hard for them to provide the best kinds of care and support. To prevent a breakdown in care, we can keep the heaviest loads from weighing families down.”
- 24. Close your eyes: Think of something you read recently that spoke to you and motivated you to act?
- 25. Self-interest drives action – to move people, speak to their self-interest, not yours. 1. Your Desired Action 2. Your Audiences 3. Their Desires 4. Overlap 5. Core Message Strategic Messaging: The Action Connection
- 26. Five Steps to Strategic Messaging Put the right information into the hands of the right people to prompt an action we desire. 1: Identify the action desired 2: Identify the target audiences 3: Identify target audience desires 4: Find the mutuality 5: Write the message
- 27. Core Principles of Strategic Messages • Less is more – fewer words, fewer audiences, fewer points equals more success • Common desire is the secret to success – without overlap between your and the audience’s desires, an effective strategic message is impossible
- 28. Strategic Messaging Core Message Example “Early Childhood Home Visiting programs partner with families so children grow up healthy, strong and ready to learn.”
- 29. 27-9-3 Rule 27 words - 9 seconds - 3 messages • Average length of a sound bite in print media is 27 words • Average duration of a sound bite in broadcast media is 9 seconds • Average number of messages reported in both print and broadcast media is 3 • 140-character tweet takes about 9 seconds to say
- 30. Before crafting your message, answer the questions below: 1. Who is the audience for this particular message? 2. What might appeal to their direct self-interest? (What’s in it for them? Why should they care?) 3. What do you want your audience to think or understand about your issue? 4. How do you want them to feel about what you have said? 5. What do you want your listener to do after they hear your message? • Write out your 27-9-3 message • Practice reading it out loud and ask for feedback
- 32. Message Example “Parenting can be hard and imperfect. People want to help, but don’t always know how. Through LEAN on ME WV, we’re educating how to support families through Listening, Empathy, Affirmation and Non- Judgment and decreasing unnecessary, inaccurate reports to CPS.”
- 33. RESOURCES
- 34. Messaging Resources: • BuildingBetterChildhoods.org • Frameworks Institute - frameworksinstitute.org • Colorado Early Childhood Partnership Shared Messaging Bank - cosharedmessagebank.org • Berkeley Media Studies Group, bmsg.org • The Topos Partnership, topospartnership.com/ • Sightline Institute, sightline.org/ • CTF Alliance Messaging Memo, ctfalliance.org
- 38. Expanded Child Tax Credit
- 39. For More Information Jim McKay, Public Policy Director Children’s Trust Fund Alliance Telephone: 304-617-0099 E-mail: jim.mckay@ctfalliance.org www.ctfalliance.org