Campaign to stop retailers selling products that prematurely sexualise children - let us know what you think...

[JustineMumsnet]

So quite a few folk on the MN campaigns thread mentioned that an issue they'd like to see MN get involved in is the premature sexualisation of children.

So we've put together an outline for a potential campaign, along the lines of Let girls be girls, summarising the issues and some of the research. The aim is to encourage retailers to make a simple, public pledge that commits them to selling only products which do not sexualise children.

Please do have a read and let us know your thoughts, ideas, suggestions.

Thanks.
MNHQ

Oh also Clarks, Barratts, Hush Puppies, Brantano, Deichmann and T K Maxx.

Clarks are a disgrace TBH, they need to start making Shoes For The Square Children again instead of pink glittery flimsy things

Oh and Mamas and Papas, Mackays and Ethel Austin. Can't think of anywhere else at the moment.

Am also very glad that MN has started this campaign. It is a very worrying trend and that photo of Miley Cirus's sister was just disgusting. I think a lot of Americans can be the worst culprits at dressing their babies or little kids up to look like grown ups - take a look at all the pageants, just horrifying. But I think we are fast heading the same way and I have a 9 year old girl and often struggle to get clothes that I think are suitable for her. Why is everyone so desperate for their kids to grow up??? I just don't get it. And kids wearing short skits or tops with their mid-riffs out or even school shoes with heels...! Why??! So they can fall and break their ankle when they play? I just don't get it.

Have the manufacturers given a reason for this turn in marketing? Why do they think such clothing is preferable? I'd be really interested to know why.

Quick caveat - Problem of sexualising children also exists heavily in music videos - esp with the likes of 'Girls Allowed' - kid-aimed pop, but the dance moves shouldn't be.

Morning I agree - the school shoes with heels I was referring to were in Clarks and have been for the last few years. I mean if you can't get a decent pair in Clarks, where the f* can you?

Any chance of contacting any of the others Helen?

Hmm. Padded bras are a difficult one, I think. The campaign specifies 'padded bras for pre-teens', because there's a very broad consensus about that. For teens, though, there are varying MN opinions - just as there are for things like depilation. And both the Asda and Tesco's bras seem to be aimed at teens, and are sold according to cup-size, not age.

It's a similar situation with gender-stereotyping products I think. Though I'm personally not keen , the campaign is specifically about products which sexualise children. And while you could argue that anything which reinforces 'gendered' behaviour or standards has the ancillary effect of underlining a child's sexuality, the two things aren't necessarily interchangeable. There's also far less consensus about those kind of products and where the line could/should be drawn, isn't there?

Maybe see how successful we are with this and then gather our troops for a broader assault on gendered..ness?

The Asda Padded bras are in their "Older Girls 4-12 years" range on their website

Couldn't agree more. I tried to get a proper old fashioned 'frock' for my daughter to go to a wedding in and really struggled. Everything on the high street was strappy, miniskirted, off the shoulder, blinged or generally fairly slutty or just cheap and nasty. I ended up having a spend a little more to get what I wanted. She is only 8.

I hate the idea of 'tweens' my daughter is not a 'tween' she is a little girl and I want to keep her a little girl for as long as possible.

But the shops wouldn't stock it if people didn't buy it. The problem goes beyond the retailers and is shared with the purchasing parents and the wider society we live in which judges people on appearances.

I totally 100% agree with this campaign and called La Senza head office to complain immediately that I saw sexy underwear for girls aged 5-11, I was told it had been intended as 'fun' underwear for kids and I said kids didn't need 'fun' from their underwear. This is getting way out of hand and the pressure being put on a young girl is unacceptable.

NAME AND SHAME!!! I think the Sun (who incidentally started the campaign against La Senza) is great for this because it's generating all the complaints but I think this site's main source of power will be in naming and shaming. Parents are all common sensed level headed people who do not want this for their girls so will support complaining against the shops who are not taking responsibility here such as Primark and La Senza - I am disappointed for example that Primark told me that they are taking the products of the shelf but not signing up to this campaign - is all their concern to do with just 'putting out the fire' or are they actually bothered about the kids they effect?

As a mother of 2 girls aged 6 & 4 I would support this campaign. FWIW I am still in the no bikini camp - not sure what age I think a bikini becomes appropriate but not at their current ages. Pink, sparkly and pretty is fine (thankfully exactly what my two are after), bikini's, very short skirts/dresses and thongs are not! Interesting in ASDA this afternoon dd1 pointed out a bikini she liked and wondered if she could have. I explained that dh and I did not feel they were suitable for her age, she asked me why, I explained she chose and swimming cossie that she liked. No problem.

BTW very disappointed in Next. How about H&M and Tesco?

I am delighted that MN has initiated its campaign. Now that my daughter is 5, I struggle to find "little girl" clothing on the High Street. I do find, however, that many of the parents in my bit of leafy, affluent London collude in the sexualisation of their children. I think they think it is "cute" that their children are dressed like mini-teenagers. At my DC's school (no uniform), there are very few girls in my DD's Reception class who dress like 4 or 5 year old girls. The unofficial uniform seems to be skin-tight sequinned leggings with a very close fitting t-shirt and the ubiquitous Uggs!

lol @ the sun stopping sexualisation of kids when it has pge three still using barely 16 year olds

My eldest is approaching 12 and I'm finding it near impossible to find stylish and affordable clothing that is also age appropriate - yes there is always the jeans and T-shirts, but she plays in an orchestra and needs eveningwear - Tammy one of the few retailers of affordable eveningwear only had strapless dresses - she's 11! Then there is the problem of really short school skirts, the problem made worse by how huge the waist bands are (catering to fat kids) meaning we have to buy smaller than age to get them to fit. Please let my daughter be a child for at least 3 or 4 more years.

geisha, we've got a meeting booked in with Tesco next week. We've had some communication problems with H&M but we're hopeful we've got through to the right person now. We'll keep you informed.

nappyaddict - thanks a lot for those suggestions. We've now sent invitations to join up to Clarks, Barratts, TK Maxx, Hush Puppies, Deichmann and Pumpkin Patch, and hopefully we'll hear back from them soon.

Brantano's offices close at 5pm - there's an answering machine after that! So that's a job for tomorrow..

Top Shop and New Look - think that their target group is definitely teens upwards, so it might be an idea if we hold off, to avoid diluting our message.

Great idea. I once saw a 10 year old girl wearing a t-shirt with the slogan 'the smaller ones are more juicy'. I nearly fell over with shock. And she was with her mother who very nearly got a slap from me. It is more of a girl issue although boys clothes are starting to get too 'mini me' for my liking.

I'm completely in support of this campaign. I find the vast majority of the kids clothes on the high street are just vile - sparkly hipsters and crop tops for girls and rubbishy cartoons plastered all over the boys clothes.

I raid the sales at Polarn O Pyret and Gap to dress my children (girl 5 and boy 2) - they have very few clothes (one drawer each) but at least what they have are good quality and age-appropriate. Also especially with POP they are often unisex, my son was wearing jeans today that were my daughters - how many retailers can you do that with?!

I would like to see a ban on Bratz Dolls. The oversized flirtatious eyes and huge pouting lips plastered with make up. Many of the outfits are designed for sex appea. There is the merchandise too with images of the dolls often in seductive type poses. These do affect how young girls see themsleves. Any body agree and is there a way that this particular toy could be targeted?

School shoes with heels I have a 4.11yr old and found it so so so hard to buy her some new school shoes. Wedged, heeled.......WHY??? In with the school shoes i saw a pair of 2inch heeled shoes!!!! My daughter is size 10 and the shoes went smaller than this!!!!!

I am a million % behind this campain.

I was shopping late last year for undies for my dd. I thought this was a simple task.......no I found myself with a choice of; shorts,high leg,bikini, etc but NO undies that were what i call 'normal' style. I got confused thinking i had walked into the adult undies area! I went to Next, M&S, BHS and a few others.........no 'normal' style undies.

The people that make the choices what to make and what sizes to make them in must have something wrong with them.....
~2inch heels on a 3 or 4 yr old!!
~Hot pants on babies!!
~Sexy night wear on kids that are not long out of bliming nappies!!
Do i need to say anymore..............

onebat this is a great campaign. i think now the attitude should now be one of 'why WOULDN'T you sign up'.

however, mussy, i don't see anything at all wrong with leggings (by nature skin tight...baggy leggings anyone??) a fitted t shirt and uggs...what on EARTH is sexual about that???? v strange.

onebatmother - New Look and Topshop both do baby and toddler clothes now.

NEXT and WH smiths say no???....errr boycott anyone?

SHAME ON THEM! what's to say no too? 'err, sorry but we really want to sell items that sexualise small children and defend our right to do so' eh?????