MEDIA RELEASE
Professionals speak out: Marketing harms children

8 December 2006

Twelve prominent children's professionals, representing organisations including the Paediatric and Child Health Division of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Childhood Foundation and the Australian Centre for Child Protection, today publicly asserted that the early sexualisation of children by current marketing practices is having serious consequences for children's development and psychological health. (The Australian, Letters, 8/12/06)

Dr Joe Tucci, CEO of the Australian Childhood Foundation, said that he and other signatories believed that many current marketing practices give children all the wrong messages about themselves.

His comments were echoed by Dr Patricia Edgar, Author and Founding Director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation, stating that “Our marketing culture which displays children in varying degrees of undress with come-hither looks and bedroom eyes in order to sell products is irresponsible. A society that tolerates the exploitation of children for commercial purposes and defends such behavior in the name of freedom of expression is morally bankrupt.” She challenged the advertising industry to consider the consequences of what they are doing and modify their practices by introducing an unambiguous regulatory code.

Dr Louise Newman, Director of the NSW Institute of Psychiatry, said that “ the damage to children's emotional and psychological development poses a serious mental health risk.”

Jane Roberts, President of the Australian Council for Children and the Media, trading as Young Media Australia (YMA), said “This issue has worried YMA and many parents for years. The companies may not previously have been fully aware of what they are doing. This can no longer be an excuse, with the recent release of The Australia Institute's well researched report Corporate Paedophilia (October 2006), commended by so many influential Australians.”

Dr Tucci concluded: “While some tried to dismiss the report as “moral panic”, professionals who work with children found its release timely, as they have long considered such marketing practices to be harmful to children. It is important to have an informed public debate that makes everyone aware that children's own experiences of childhood are being coloured by the pressure of corporate marketing strategies and the push for them to be consumers in their own right. Childhood is not meant to be used as another way of businesses increasing profits without accepting responsibility for the consequences of the way they promote their products.”

For more information or to arrange an interview, please call,

Dr Joe Tucci (Vic) on 0418 991 766, or
Dr Patricia Edgar (Vic) on 03 9457 1441, or
Jane Roberts (WA) on 0410 509 685, or Dr Louise Newman (NSW) 0418 453 447