Young Scots reject proposed regulations on sexualised images

The Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee commissioned research on the subject following a media furore over the sale of goods such as children’s underwear with sexual slogans and high-heeled shoes for babies.

However, the report presented to committee members on the issue found that parents and children were against regulation. It also found that such goods were rare.

The report says: "Young people were keen to assert that they were competent in understanding and interpreting the sexual connotations of particular products, and in assessing this dimension relative to other concerns.

"They strongly rejected the idea that regulation was necessary in order to protect them, and argued that they should have the right to make their own decisions and mistakes."

The report, called External Research on Sexualised Goods Aimed At Children, concludes that any regulation "is fraught with difficulties" as it would also be difficult to define which goods need to be regulated.

Instead, the report recommends including discussions about sexual imagery in marketing in personal, social and health education lessons.

Parents interviewed for the report backed this recommendation. They also called for schools to set up parents’ forums to discuss sexualisation issues to help them hand out advice to their children.