This summer NSPCC/ChildLine released a hard-hitting film about children living with physical abuse, as part of a campaign to encourage young people to speak out. Kirsty Weakley assesses its impact.
To go straight to the film click here.
ChildLine’s It follows me around certainly mananges to highlight a wide range of issues about the effects of physical abuse and if you’re not misty-eyed by the end of the film you must have a heart of stone.
So far it has been viewed more than 145,000 times on YouTube – which is the highest number of views NSPCC has had for an issues-based film. It has attracted 206 ‘likes’ and just nine ‘dislikes’ on the video-sharing site and NSPCC said 60 per cent of those viewers watched the end of the film.
It stars child actor Sammy Williams - who has previously been in Wild Bill and Attack the Block - as Adam, and Neil Maskell - whose credits include The Football Factory and Kill List - as his father.
Over five minutes Adam tells the viewer about his troubled home and school life through a series of flashbacks building up to the point where he is abused by his father and reaches out to ChildLine.
It does anything but oversimplify the family dynamic, protraying the inevitable complexities of relationships succinctly. As the character Adam states: "It’s not all bad...but really I’d rather be anywhere but here."
Williams’ performance - that of the confused, guilt-ridden Adam struggling to reconcile the proud dad cheering him on at football matches with the abusive alcoholic monster he is a home - is perfectly understated.
Remarkably the film is not devoid of humour – like many teenage boys, Adam’s idea of a back-up plan to being a professional footballer is to become a rapper.
The film was co-written and directed by Andrew Hunter, strategic content development planner at NSPCC and ChildLine and Ben Liam Jones, a freelance filmmaker.
Trigger warning: This video contains scenes of physical violence which may trigger painful memories or emotions if you have been through a similar experience.
