One of the country’s foremost experts on the sexualisation of children has called for government regulation to halt the sexualisation by ‘a thousand cuts’.

 

“There is substantial evidence that sexualisation harms children: It promotes body image concerns, eating disorders, and gender stereotyping to name a few,” said Dr Emma Rush from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga.

 

The 2008 Senate Inquiry into the Sexualisation of Children in the Contemporary Media concluded that, “the onus is on broadcasters, publishers, advertisers, retailers and manufacturers to take account of these community concerns [about the sexualisation of children]”. The Inquiry recommended a review, supposed to occur in December 2009, to ensure that positive action was taken by industry bodies in the interests of the health and welfare of Australian children.

 

“As of February 2010, this review has not yet occurred, and the sexualisation of children continues apace,” Dr Rush said.

 

“Industry was warned, has had the chance to voluntarily self-regulate, and has conspicuously failed to act at the scale required. It is now clearly up to the government to take the lead on behalf of Australian children.

 

“The government could start by conducting the now overdue review of industries’ response to the Senate Inquiry recommendations,” said Dr Rush.

 

“What is happening today is sexualisation ‘by a thousand cuts’. One sexualised billboard, one television show or advertisement, one internet site, one toy, one child’s magazine; none of these alone cause the problem of child sexualisation. It is the combination of many sexualised billboards, television shows, advertisements, internet sites, toys, magazines, and so on that cause child sexualisation.

 

“The ‘case-by-case’ approach to regulation which is currently used by both government regulation and industry self-regulation will not work for this issue.

 

“We need an integrated regulatory approach covering all relevant industries, with the expertise of child health and welfare professionals structured into the regulation process, and regulation enforceable by law. The evidence of the past 18 months of minimal response by industry shows that the market culture around this issue will not shift without stronger government initiative,” said the CSU academic.

 

“Regulating against the sexualisation of children might cause a blip in profit margins in some places, but it is hardly going to destroy the economy as we know it. We must hold this firmly in mind as we ask, loudly and clearly: What is all our wealth worth, if the market eats our children?”

 

These comments from CSU academic Dr Emma Rush first appeared on the website of Ms Melinda Tankard Reist, author, commentator and advocate for issues involving women and girls. Read more here.