are children being forced to grow up too quickly?

In case you missed it earlier in the year, following a great deal of debate around the subject of the commercialisation, and particularly the perceived sexualisation, of children, the Government have commissioned a review. Reg Bailey, Chief Executive of the Mothers’ Union is leading the review which will focus on 4 key areas:

- whether and to what extent sexualised imagery now forms a universal background or ‘wallpaper’ to children’s lives;
- whether some products are inappropriate for children, and others in dubious taste: parents are anxious about what is appropriate;
- whether businesses sometimes treat children too much as consumers and forget that they are children too, with particular concerns about the kinds of marketing techniques associated with digital media;
- how parents can tell advertisers, broadcasters and retailers about the things they are unhappy about and how they can make an effective complaint.

You can read more about the review here, on the Department for Education website, as well as participate by completing a survey.