Mothers’ Union
Children are becoming too sexually aware, too young, according to a survey from the Mothers’ Union (MU).
Research carried out among 1000 parents by pollsters ComRes revealed that 80 per cent of UK parents believe media and marketing with sexualised content is too easily accessed by children.
The survey showed that 71 per cent of parents believe that the media encourages children to act older than they really want to, while 67 per cent of parents believe that inappropriate content is shown on TV before the 9.00pm watershed.
The MU report, called
Rosemary Kempsell, worldwide president of MU, said, ‘We are concerned at the increasing levels of marketing aimed at children. Brands deliberately encourage a culture of pester power or use manipulative techniques such as recruiting young people as conduits for peer-to-peer marketing.
‘This is having a far-reaching effect on children’s values and their family life. Marketers play on the need that children have to fit in with their friends, to belong. We believe exploiting children for profit is wrong’.
Through www.byebuychildhood.org).
