The Mexican government on Thursday announced the launch of a public campaign to fight physical and sexual abuse of children under 14 years old, local reports said.

Ana Rosa Payan Cervera, director of the national system for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), said that the campaign was intended to raise consciousness among adults, strengthen the family, and improve the reporting of abuse, which affects one in every three Mexican families.

The government will spend 1.8 million U.S. dollars on 250 television advertisements, around 3,000 radio advertisements, and between 60 and 70 newspaper advertisements.

"Society, government and the media have to come together to fight abuse because it is a problem that requires all our efforts, " Payan said.

Between 2000 and 2002, the DIF received four complaints about child abuse every day, with the worst hit group being children aged 10 to 14 years old. Violence costs the nation 92 million dollars a year, she said.

According to Payan, the campaign will last until the end of the government's term on Nov. 30 and the key part of the campaign is to get children to report abuse.

"Our task is to generate rules. We are not in the executive branch and we cannot prosecute criminals. That is why we are seeking reporting as an effective way to end violence," she said.

Source: Xinhua