This council recognises that the sexualisation of children is an on-going and developing issue, particularly for parents, and that we now live in an increasingly sexual and sexualised culture. 

This council welcomes the recommendations of the government's Bailey Review: ‘Letting Children Be Children’ report and remains committed to ensuring that all children grow up in a safe environment, which includes children not being exposed to sexualised imagery in public places.

The definition of sexualisation is contained in the Home Office -Sexualisation of Young People Review: Dr. Linda Papadopoulos.  Sexualisation occurs when children and young people –

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have adult sexuality imposed on them; 

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are told their value comes only from their sexual appeal or behaviour, that their physical attractiveness is judged solely with being sexy to exclusion of other characteristics; and 

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are sexually objectified (made into a ‘thing’ for other people's sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making). 

(1)

pledges its support to campaigns which aim to protect children and young people from exposure to inappropriate and unnecessary sexualised images in the promotion, marketing and advertising for goods and services and to remove publications which carry such imagery from council owned buildings and services where children are likely to see it; 

(2)

commits to communicate the rationale for this action to staff and council service users; 

(3)

commits to look at how the council can work with its' partners to reduce the amount of on-street advertising containing sexualised imagery in locations where children are likely to see it in line with Recommendation 2 of the Bailey Review and the Advertising Standards Agency’s guidelines on sexual imagery in outdoor advertising;

(4)

will take into account measures, that include the reduction or elimination of sexualised imagery on any licensed premises, by utilising licensing policies; in particular by means of the licensing objective that promotes the protection of children from harm;

(5)

instructs the Chief Executive to prepare the necessary guidance in support of implementing clauses (1) – (4) above.

(a)

the pressures could cause depression and eating disorders in children and young people;

(b)

councillors had responsibilities as corporate parents to take such actions as they could to protect children and young people in their care;

(c)

responsibility also laid with parents in monitoring internet use by their children.