Letting Children be Children
Theme 1 – The 'Wallpaper' of Children's Lives
Overview
- We are all living in an increasingly sexual and sexualised culture although it is far from clear how we arrived at this point
- Many parents feel that this culture is often inappropriate for their children and they want more power to say ‘no’
- Some parts of the business world and sections of the media seem to have lost their connection to parents and this is compounded in some new media where there is limited regulation
- Where regulation does exist regulators need to connect better with parents and encourage businesses to comply with the ‘spirit of the regulation’ here regulation does not exist businesses need to behave more responsibly.
What we would like to see
That sexualised images used in public places and on television, the internet, music videos, magazines, newspapers and other places are more in line with what parents find acceptable and that public space becomes more family friendly
Recommendations
1.
Ensuring that magazines and newspapers with sexualised images on their covers are not in easy sight of children. Retail associations in the news industry should do more to encourage observance of the voluntary code of practice on the display of magazines and newspapers with sexualised images on their covers. Publishers and distributors should provide such magazines in modesty sleeves, or make modesty boards available, to all outlets they supply and strongly encourage the appropriate display of their publications. Retailers should be open and transparent to show that they welcome and will act on customer feedback regarding magazine displays. ACTION: Publishers, distributors, retailers and retail associations in the news industry, including the National Federation of Retail Newsagents and the Association of News Retailing
2.
Reducing the amount of on street advertising containing sexualised imagery in locations where children are likely to see it. The advertising industry should take into account the social responsibility clause of the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) code when considering placement of advertisements with sexualised imagery near schools in the same way as they already do for alcohol advertisements. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) should place stronger emphasis on the location of an advertisement, and the number of children likely to be exposed to it, when considering whether an on street advertisement is compliant with the CAP code he testing of standards that the ASA
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