If you follow PROHACC, you have noticed: on this site no child can be identified. The photos show campaign art, donations, the home and party moments. This is on purpose, and in this article we explain why.
The law protects a child's image
Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) guarantees every child the right to respect. Under article 17, this right includes protecting their image and identity. For children in care, this matters even more.
A child in care has been through a serious situation in their family. Their case is handled by the Children and Youth Court, which is confidential. A published photo could reveal where they are to someone who should not know. It could also expose the child at school, in the neighborhood and, years later, in an internet search.
The internet does not forget
Think of a child who came into care at age 8. They go back to their family or are adopted. They grow up, go to college, look for a job. An old photo captioned "child in care" is still out there, linked to the name of an institution. They did not choose that.
When we do not show faces, we are protecting the adult that child will become. Their story belongs to them, and it is up to them to decide if and when they want to tell it.
Major organizations do the same
We did not invent this rule. Organizations around the world that work with children follow similar practices.
UNICEF has ethical guidelines for anyone producing content about children. One of them is to change the name and hide the visual identity of children at risk. A good question to ask before posting any photo is this: if it were your child, would you let their face appear in this context?
Save the Children states on its donation pages that the names of people in its stories have been changed to protect their identity. And UNICEF's quick guide to ethical imagery asks people to avoid stereotypes, like showing a child only as a victim.
What about blurring the face?
You may ask: why not blur the face or put a bar over the eyes? UNICEF USA's photography guide advises against hiding identities with pixelation or black bars. These marks take dignity away from the image and can suggest that the child did something wrong. That is why, on this site, we prefer not to use photos of children, not even with bars: we show the moment without showing who it is.
The 2009 Technical Guidelines for Care Services go in the same direction. They ask homes to avoid reinforcing an image of pity or stigma around children in care.
So how do we show our work?
Transparency matters a lot to us. You have the right to know what happens with your donation. That is why we show:
- campaign art and special dates;
- donations arriving and being sorted;
- the home and its rooms;
- party moments, with no identifiable children;
- general figures, such as how many children and teenagers we care for.
We also do not tell stories that could identify a child. The details of a story can be enough for someone to recognize who it is.
How you can help
If you visit PROHACC, join an event or bring a donation, we ask three simple things:
- Do not photograph or film the children, even if they ask.
- Do not post photos of the home that show children, signs or the address.
- If you want to share your donation, photograph the items, not the people. Or share our official posts.
We ask the same of companies and groups that do activities with us, out of care for those who depend on us.
Seeing a face is moving, we know. But we believe you will also be moved to know that behind every photo without a face there is a protected child.
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Sources
- Child and Adolescent Statute, Law 8.069/1990, art. 17 (updated text on the Chamber of Deputies portal): https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/lei/1990/lei-8069-13-julho-1990-372211-normaatualizada-pl.html
- UNICEF. Ethical reporting guidelines: https://www.unicef.org/media/reporting-guidelines
- UNICEF USA. Photography Guidelines (2021): https://www.unicefusa.org/sites/default/files/PhotographyGuidelines_11-11-21.pdf
- UNICEF. 8 Quick Steps to Ethical Imagery: https://www.educationcannotwait.org/resource-library/unicefs-8-quick-steps-ethical-imagery
- Save the Children UK, donation page (note about changed names): https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/donate
- CNAS and CONANDA. Technical Guidelines: Care Services for Children and Adolescents, 2009, p. 13: https://www.tjdft.jus.br/informacoes/infancia-e-juventude/informacoes/informacoes/instituicoes-de-acolhimento-1/orientacoes_tecnicas.pdf