David Beckham's tattoos turned into animated illustrations for an important reason

LONDON -- David Beckham's tattoos have been transformed into powerful animations in a film highlighting the lasting impact of physical and psychological child abuse.

The film -- released by children's charity UNICEF -- shows the footballer's tattoos coming to life in shocking scenes depicting physical and psychological abuse.

The first animated tattoo in the film features the words "violence marks forever" wrapped around a heart, while another shot shows a tattoo of an angel with tears rolling down its face. The other animated tattoos in the film depict traumatic scenes in which children are being assaulted and verbally abused.

"Violence against children marks them forever. It's wrong. End it," Beckham -- who is a Unicef goodwill ambassador -- states in the video.

According to a UNICEF statement, Beckham's tattoos each represent happy and important memories -- a contrast to the scenes shown in the video.

"Millions of children bear marks they have not chosen: the long-lasting scars of violence and abuse. The animations in the film depict all too common forms of violence that boys and girls endure in spaces where they should be safe – their homes, schools, online and in their communities," reads the statement.

According to children's charity NSPCC, there are currently over 57,000 children identified as needing protection from abuse in the UK. However, the real number of children being abused is likely much greater -- the charity believes that for every child identified as needing protection, another eight are being abused.

"Every five minutes, somewhere in the world, a child dies from violence. Millions more are in danger of physical, emotional and sexual abuse that could destroy their childhoods forever," Beckham said in a statement.

"No child should have to endure this. Yet in all corners of the world, in their homes, schools and on their streets, children are suffering similar violence. I hope this new project will draw attention to this urgent issue and inspire action," the footballer continued.

If you are a survivor of abuse or experiencing child abuse, call Childhelp on 1-800-422-4453 or Childline (UK) on 0800 1111.