Kidscape: Devil is in the detail
Claude Knights, director of Kidscape, calls for focus on details of the Bailey Review:
“Kidscape welcomes the Bailey Review, as we have been campaigning against the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood for the past ten years.
“The preventative measures recommended in the report will hopefully be given some teeth by the government.
“The devil is in the detail, however. How do you legislate against T-shirts with provocative slogans, which manufacturers may argue are open to interpretation? How can we enforce a watershed in an age when most viewing of programmes occurs on demand via Sky+, iPlayer etc?
“We need to help parents to develop an awareness of market forces, and of the effect that exploitative sexualised merchandise can have on their children. Those with the buying power can send out a strong message to the manufacturers.
“Children too must be helped to understand that Jordan and Rihanna are not the most positive role models, and that emulating their clothes and accessories at the age of 7 or 8 is not appropriate.
“Education is key, as all sectors of society must act to preserve the short years of innocence that childhood should represent. Aren’t the manufacturers of inappropriate sexualised items aimed at children also parents themselves?”
