Submission No 17 s exualisation of children and young people organisation

Senate Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts Report: 
Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media 
The 2008 report into the Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media, in addition to citing 
both the American and Australian Psychological Societies definitions, also had this to add: 
the committee has viewed sexualisation as a continuum from the explicit targeting of 
children with images, attitudes and content that inappropriately and prematurely seek 
to impose a sexual identity on a child, through the presentation of one-dimensional 
and stereotypical images of children and young people, predominantly girls, in 
content, products and advertising directed at them, to what might be described as the 
’background noise’ of society at large where products, advertising and other materials 
made for and directed at adults are readily accessed by children and reinforce the 
sexualising messages they are receiving.
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The Sexualisation of Young People Review by the UK Home Office in 2010 
The 2010 UK Home Office Review defined sexualisation variously as ‘the imposition of adult sexuality 
on to children and young people before they are capable of dealing with it, mentally, emotionally or 
physically’
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and ‘the use of sexual attributes as a measure of a person’s value and worth’.
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Sources of exposure to sexualised images and content
Advertising 
Advertising is an area that needs serious reform in order to reduce its impact as a source of the 
sexualisation of children and young people. Carmel Niland, Director General of the NSW Department 
of Community Services, said as far back as 1999 that: “The sexualisation of children in public 
5
Senate Committee Report, Senate Committee on the Environment, Communications and the Arts’ inquiry into the 
Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media p 6, para 1.26, citing Committee Hansard, 30 April 2008, p 15 
6
Position Statement #58 on Sexualisation of Children in Contemporary Media 
http://www.wpanet.org/uploads/News-
Zonal-Representatives/wpa-policy-papers-from-zone-18/ZONE%2018-RANZCP.58 ps-2008-pdf.pdf
7
Senate Committee Report, Senate Committee on the Environment, Communications and the Arts’ inquiry into the 
Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media p 6 para 1.28 
8
Papadopoulos L, The Sexualisation of Young People Review (UK: Home Office, 2010) p 5. 
9
Ibid. p 6. 

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advertising and the availability of child pornography on the internet, pose very real threats to 
children.”
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In 2012, the Australian Medical Association president Dr Hambleton, in response to public outcry over 
advertising, featuring children in images that were “disturbing and sexually exploitive”, said: “there is 
strong evidence that premature sexualisation is likely to be detrimental to child health and 
development, particularly in the areas of body image and sexual health.” Dr Hambleton was also 
critical of the Advertising Standards Board and self-regulation stating that it is “failing to protect 
children from sexualised advertising.” Since the 2008 inquiry recommendation, that another inquiry 
be held 18 months later, was never acted upon, in 2012 the AMA called for a new inquiry to report 
into the Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media, stating: “Stronger action is needed to 
stop this practice of pushing adult themes to young children, especially pre-teen girls.”
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The 2008 inquiry acknowledged that complaints directed to the Advertising Standards Board (ASB), 
that fall within the category of premature sexualisation, are more likely to relate to advertising 
targeting adults (that is also easily accessible to children),
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rather than advertising directly targeted 
at children.
The Committee also made the observation that complaints directed to the ASB about women’s 
underwear and other clothing often include an argument to the effect that: