Citation

Kendall-Taylor N, Stanley K. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018; 15(1): e15010152.

Affiliation

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH, UK. kate.stanley@nspcc.org.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph15010152

PMID

29351195

Abstract

Human beings think in metaphor and reason through analogy. The metaphors through which we think influence how we understand and feel about social issues as well as the actions that we see as appropriate and important. Metaphors can be used to increase understanding of how issues work and increase the salience of a given issue, build support for programs and policies necessary to address the issue, and instigate demand for change and civic action. In this paper, we use a mixed methods research design, including brief qualitative interviews, experimental surveys, and focus groups, to test the ability of different metaphors to influence public understanding of the social determinants of child abuse and neglect in the UK. We find one metaphor in particular that improves people's understanding of the social causes of child maltreatment and increases support for structural solutions. This metaphor can be used to build support for preventative public health solutions.

Language: en

Keywords

child abuse and neglect; communication science; culture and health; metaphor; public policy; science translation; social determinants