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By Tony Grew@ayestotheright - 6th June 2011
Groups representing the advertising and retail sectors have welcomed the Bailey report and pledged action to tackle the sexualisation of children.
"Whilst many businesses and broadcasters are doing a good job in working with parents and only selling things for and to children that are appropriate for them, there are those who are not," Bailey said.
"I hope that they would recognise that they need to step up and be as good as the best, and they need to be more proactive in encouraging feedback and complaints.
"When it comes to inappropriate advertising and marketing, I want all businesses to play fair when selling to children and not take advantage of gaps in the regulation, especially regarding new media.
"It seems to me that there is enough goodwill for this to happen without legislation."
Bailey makes a series of recommendations in the report on sexual imagery on billboards, the use of brand ambassadors and peer-to-peer techniques, the harmonisation of the age of a child and improving industry and regulatory understanding of parental concerns.
The report welcomes the advertising industry's pledge to create – through the Advertising Association - an industry panel to monitor advertising to children and take forward key issues raised both in the review and the AA’s recent report on parents, children and the commercial world.
Advertising Asscociation chief executive Tim Lefroy said.
"As children learn to understand the commercial world, they need to be treated with care.
"The review has found much to applaud within advertising but we face new challenges and must work across industry to find the solutions."
Lefroy added: "In a debate charged with emotion Mr Bailey has been satisfied that the role and practice of advertising is in broadly good shape. The AA will work on the specifics and publish plans for its senior panel in the near future."
There are also recommendations in the Bailey report aimed at retailers and a call for them not to sell or market "inappropriate clothing, products or services for children".
It calls for a retail code of good practice on retailing to children.
Today the British Retail Consortium said nine major retailers - George, Debenhams, Home Retail Group (Argos), John Lewis, Next, Marks & Spencer, Peacocks, Sainsbury's and Tesco - have developed and signed up to a new code.
It sets out the principles these retailers follow when deciding what childrenswear to stock.
The BRC's director of public affairs, Jane Bevis, said: "These new guidelines provide extra reassurance for parents that these companies are just as concerned as they are about what their children wear.
"Ensuring the childrenswear they sell is appropriate for youngsters of particular ages is something our retailers have been doing for a long time, but out of the public eye.
"No responsible retailer wants to stock items which will upset their customers or that people don't want to buy.
"Attitudes and styles are changing all the time and our retailers want to continue their conversations with families about what they're looking for when they shop for their children.
"Responsible retailers assess all new products before they go into store, especially products for children.
"Buyers take into account the styling of clothes, the materials they're made from and how they are decorated.
"Children's clothing needs to withstand play and provide freedom and modesty as children run or climb.
"This guidance helps everyone understand the decision-making processes retailers go through."
The Bailey report also has recommendations on ensuring that parents find it easier to voice their concerns, are listened to more readily when they do, and have their concerns visibly acted on by businesses and regulators.
It calls on the government should monitor implementation and formally review progress in 18 months' time.
"If the stocktake reaches the conclusion that insufficient progress has been made, our view is that the government would be fully entitled to bring forward appropriate statutory measures to ensure action is taken."
Article Comments
The PSHE Association has consistently drawn attention to the increasingly sexualised culture that children and young people are subject to and the need for high quality PSHE education that addresses sex and relationships in a carefully planned, age appropriate way to counter this.
The Linda Papdopoulos 'Sexualisation of Young People' report from February 2010 also recognised the need for trained PSHE education teachers in order to tackle gender inequality, sexual and sexist bullying and violence against women and girls.
The PSHE Association is disappointed that the importance of sex and relationships education within PSHE education is not recognised in the report and would urge the government to consider the very important role that schools have in preparing children and young people for adult life.
Sarah Smart, ceo, PSHE Association
7th Jun 2011 at 6:03 pm
While I welcome the government's proactive approach to tackling the sexualisation of children, including the publication of the Bailey Review on the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood, I do think we need to take a harder look at the availability of adult pornography on the internet, and move beyond seeing filters and blocking software as the main solution.
Donald Findlater, Director of Research and Development at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Director of Stop it Now! UK and Ireland.
7th Jun 2011 at 12:43 pm
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