Let Children be Children

I welcome the work done by the UK Government's Department for Education in commissioning the report Let Children be Children. It is important that children are allowed to grow up at their own pace and that they are not forced to grow up too soon. The media in particular has a duty to ensure that children are not confronted with inappropriate images and expectations on them. The retail sector also has a duty, which some of the them seem to have woken up to, to ensure that children, particularly girls are not offered inappropriate clothing in particular. In the last session of the Scottish Parliament my friend Marlyn Glen was part of an investigation into sexualised goods aimed at children, with the Equal Opportunities Committee. Parents also have an important role to play as the principal educators of their children but society has to support them in their important role and these reports might go some way to doing that. There is a real issue about the image of females portrayed by the media and by the expectations of the retail sector. I will be keeping an eye on this and I hope that this will make a difference.