A Brazilian cartoon with a somber message

The three-minute clip has already attracted the attention of many parents, children, and media in Bellucci's native Brazil, and she is now adapting it for Japan, her adopted home.

Project born from a painful past

Featuring a catchy tune and colorful animation, "Don't Mess With Me" has a serious message.

Bellucci, 32, made the video in 2020 and continues to update it. She has lived in Japan since arriving to study a master's degree six years ago. Her academic field is child protection.

Bellucci is herself a survivor of child sex abuse. She was victimized for years, but at the time was unable to recognize the behavior for what it was: "I thought my uncle was taking care of me because he was very close to me and my family," she says.

At the time, Bellucci's mother Neusa could never have imagined what her daughter was going through. "If I had enough knowledge, I could have protected her," she laments.

Long after the abuse stopped, Bellucci suffered from trauma. She says her skin felt itchy: "I was feeling that I want to change my skin because I thought my body was dirty."

Reaching children's hearts

While grappling with her own feelings of hurt, Bellucci was inspired to do something to protect others. As a saxophone player, she knows the power of music.

The roles in her video are born from her own experiences. The main character's stance is inspired by the "Fearless Girl" statue from Wall Street. Bellucci saw herself in the New York landmark. Her goal is to make children feel empowered, not frightened.

Adapting her campaign for Japan

Bellucci is now the mother of a two-year-old boy. In Japan, she wants to play a part in keeping children safe.

Language and cultural barriers mean her video is not quite suitable for a Japanese audience, so Bellucci has turned to local friends for help.

Elementary school teacher Saito Kyoko says child protection education in Japan needs to be improved, but adds schools might be hesitant.

"Teachers are scared of how parents will react to this topic being taught in the classroom. Even with good material, there's the question of how to include it in the curriculum, and how to ensure accountability," notes Saito.

She has seen gaps in child protection first-hand. When she suspected a student was being abused, the school didn't let her take action because there was no proof.

That's why she's helping Bellucci with her campaign. Getting kids to speak out means bridging some cultural gaps, and that begins with the video's title.

In Japanese, "Sawaranaide" means "Don't touch me," which is close to the original title, "Don't Mess With Me." But that is regarded as too blunt for Japanese, so the chosen alternative is "Kimi wa taisetsu," meaning "You are important."

Workshops for children

Bellucci has shown her video at a workshop held at an English language school for Japanese children. The main song struck a chord with the young audience.

One parent noted that during her childhood, there was no education about how to protect yourself, or what is regarded as appropriate touching. "I am impressed that my child is able to learn about this."

Bellucci wants her work to encourage discussion and education. Her ultimate hope is to protect children from what she went through.

"You never forget," she says of the abuse she suffered. "It will always be with you, but you can deal with it. In my case, I decided to help protect others with my campaign."