The Real-Life Escape Room: 62% Children Never Escape

UNICEF Slovenia in partnership with the Association against Sexual abuse presents The Real-Life Escape Room campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness on the child sexual abuse and encourage a first step toward a solution. Since as many as 62%* of abuse victims remain silent, it is extremely important that we start talking about the issue.

The child sexual abuse is the most hidden of crimes, which usually goes on for several years. The majority of offenders are not pedophiles but people who have a need for control, dominance and power. This means that anyone can be an offender. Man or woman, regardless of social status, income, culture or religious belief. In 85%* of the cases, the offender is even a member of the child's immediate or extended family, or someone the child knows and trusts.

The offenders are highly motivated to keep their actions hidden, so the abuse may continue. Meanwhile, the children who undergo such abuse are helpless, caught in between fear, sophisticated manipulation, and feelings of guilt cunningly incited by the offenders. It is only us adults who can help them.

For this reason, UNICEF Slovenia has partnered up with the Association against Sexual abuse and shed some light on the issue by means of The Real-Life Escape Room. The escape room was active for two days at a secret location, the actual site of the years-long sexual abuse experienced by Amadea. Groups of visitors applied online without knowing any further details. A select few were then welcomed at the homestead by the hostess of The Real-Life Escape Room – Amadea – and heard her story.

The groups had to find a realistic solution to how adults can help all children who are currently trapped in their own hidden escape rooms. And this first step toward a solution was also a symbolic solution to The Real-Life Escape Room.

We filmed what was happening inside the escape room with hidden cameras and made an online video in order to spread the word on the issue, encourage victims to speak up and raise public awareness on how we can help.

The face of the campaign, 23-year old Amadea, was a victim of child sexual abuse for many years. Now she is doing her best to expose as many such escape rooms as possible. “I want to help all, who are in a similar situation of sexual violence and abuse. I am only one of the many, who are lending their voice to victims of sexual violence, whose voice is not being heard. I want to make public aware that we cannot stick our heads in the sand in the face of violence and that each and every one of us has the power to help,” said Amadea.

*Source of data: The Association against Sexual Abuse, Slovenia

More info: the-real-life-escape-room.com