Sexualistation of Young People

Sexualisation of Young People Review
80
• A specific campaign pack is
developed for primary and
secondary schools which they can
use to exemplify and build on issues
arising from the national campaign.
This campaign should not be a ‘one
off’ but be run annually, allowing
schools time to prepare activities and
lesson plans.
ii) A working group to address the
sexualisation of women and girls by the
media
Since so much of the sexualised content
to which children and young people are
exposed comes via the media, there is
a clear need for a forum where this can
be monitored, discussed and addressed.
I recommend:
• Setting up a working group of
high profile women in broadcast
and print media – for example,
TV commissioners, presenters,
producers, journalists – together
with academics to monitor and
address gender inequality in the
media. This group should meet
monthly and work with the
government to help it implement
its international obligations (see
page 20) to tackle unbalanced
portrayals and the projection of
negative and degrading images of
women in the media.
iii) Media awards
It is apparent that there is a lack of
aspiration and ambition amongst a large
number of Britain’s teenage girls. I would
like the sexualisation working group to
also influence policy and establish what
can be done to help this generation of
teenagers aim higher. The media might be
more likely to provide positive portrayals
of both girls and boys if their efforts were
acknowledged and rewarded. I therefore
recommend:
• The establishment of a media award
that promotes diverse, aspirational
and non-sexualised portrayals of
young people.
iv) Support and guidance for parents
I believe that parents should be given
information and support to educate
their children about the issues raised in
this review. The Teenage Relationship
Abuse campaign could provide a useful
starting point. Directgov (the official UK
government website for citizens) will carry
information for parents, and this should
be developed, maintained and signposted
within government communications
beyond the lifespan of the initial campaign.
During the course of this review, many
parents have told me that when they
see sexualised merchandise aimed at
children, or inappropriate imagery being
used in advertising, they are not sure who
they should complain to. Is it retailers,
manufacturers, Local Authorities, the Press
Complaints Commission, Ofcom, the
ASA, or their local MP? It can be difficult
to know who to turn to. I therefore
recommend that:
• The government launches an online
‘one-stop-shop’ to allow the public
to voice their concerns with an onus
on regulatory authorities to take
action against irresponsible marketing
which sexualises children. This will
also help inform future government
policy regarding the sexualisation of
young people by giving the public
and parents a forum to raise issues
of concern.