The Advertising Standards Authority are not able [...]]]> Following through with our Bye Buy Childhood campaign, and the recommendations of the Bailey Review, various new Codes of Practice have been issued by the appropriate organisations. This are available on the Bye Buy Childhood campaign website, but for ease of access can also be found below:

The Advertising Standards Authority are not able to act against examples of inappropriate advertising, unless people make a complaint about a specific advert or product placement. Click the link for their Statement on Sexual Imagery in Outdoor Advertising.

BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Sky have agreed to abide by a Code of Practice on the Use of Parental Controls on computer internet use. From October 2012, they will ASK customers whether they want ‘parental controls’ ie blocking of pornographic material, switched on or off. This is really good news, as though these facilities are already available, many parents are unaware either of the facility or how to use it.

Policies relating to the responsible retailing of children’s clothing are available from the British Retail Consortium and can be accessed directly here.

There are also Guidelines for the Display of Men’s Lifestyle Magazine’s – what are perhaps better known as “lad’s mags”!

There is also a ban on the use of under 16s for peer to peer brand ambassadors through a set of guiding principles for brand advertising, the link for which should be available shortly.

All these guidelines underline how vital it is to get parents to notice and report any advertising they feel is inappropriate, and the opportunities there are for doing so. The December 2011 MU Faith and Policy Watch  gives examples of recently upheld complaints, to give you an idea of what the regulator is heeding. If you are interested in social policy matters relating to family life, parenting and marriage, downloading this newsletter each month provides all sorts of useful information.

ParentPort shows the standards expected from the media, and is also the appropriate place to make a complaint about material, whether that be on a TV programme or advert, in a film, online, in a video game or in a magazine. It is run by the UK’s media regulators, who set and enforce standards across the media to protect children from inappropriate material.

21st October 2011, 1-5pm The Boardroom, University of Winchester, King Alfred Campus

The full list of Papers and Speakers appears below, but full details can be downloaded here including transport details for the King Alfred Campus, Winchester: Media and Mothers Matters [...]]]> Full details of the Media and Mothers’ Matters Conference have now been released. 

21st October 2011, 1-5pm
The Boardroom, University of Winchester, King Alfred Campus

The full list of Papers and Speakers appears below, but full details can be downloaded here including transport details for the King Alfred Campus, Winchester:
Media and Mothers Matters Further Details

Keynote Speakers

Stella Roberts, Diocesan President, Mothers’ Union Diocese of Winchester
“Media and Mothers’ Matters”

Dorothy Hobson, University of Wolverhampton
“Mothers and the Media”

Kim Akass, Critical Studies in Television
“From Here to Maternity – Motherhood in the Media”

Janet MaCabe, Birkbeck, University of London/University of Glamorgan
“States of Confusion: Sarah Palin and the Media Politics of US Mothering”

Rebecca Feasey, Bath Spa University
“Teen Drama: Absent, Inept, Intoxicated Mothers”

Rachel Agbonkhese, Cardiff University
“Setting the Media Agenda for Maternal Mortality in Nigeria: A long road to travel”

Tamsyn Dent, Bournemouth University/Skillset
The Widening Gender Gap in the UK Creative Media Industries (CMI)

The story first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday, and was confirmed today by in the BBC and by the Department of Education .

The DofE press [...]]]> It has been announced today (Monday 6th December 2010) that Mothers’ Union Chief Executive has been asked to head a review into the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood.

The story first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday, and was confirmed today by in the BBC and by the Department of Education .

The DofE press notice states that

Taking in views of consumers, particularly parents and the business community, Mr Bailey has been asked to put forward recommendations, which are informed by evidence, that are challenging and will respond to the high levels of public concern.

The review will look at the following themes:

• risks of harm and barriers to parenting
• principles – what is acceptable in this area and what is not
• consumer voice
• corporate social responsibility.

Mothers’ Union issued the following statement:

Reg Bailey, Chief Executive of Mothers’ Union has been asked to chair the Independent Review of the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood. The review has been commissioned by Sarah Teather MP, the Minister for Children and Families, and is part of a strong commitment made by both David Cameron and Nick Clegg to give a real measure of support to family life. Rosemary Kempsell, the World Wide President of Mothers’ Union, said ” We are  delighted that Reg has been asked to chair this Independent Review as Mothers’ Union is absolutely committed to seeing children as children, not simply as consumers. We have  been involved with the welfare of children for many years, but have more recently launched our Bye Buy Childhood Campaign in precisely this area because so many parents express their concerns to us.

Local Mothers’ Union Trustee, Rachel Hartland has recently put together a presentation on the Bye Buy Childhood Campaign which could form an evening’s discussion to raise awareness of the issues involved. Those interested are welcome to download the Powerpoint notes here: Who is buying our childrens childhood?

More information about initial responses to the presentation and questions raised can be found here on Rachel’s personal blog, with a link that will help you download from YouTube adverts you think inappropriate here. If you would like more information or help regarding this ongoing campaign, Rachel and other Diocesan Mothers’ Union Trustees can be contacted via the “Contact Us” facility on this website (bottom right).

David Morris’s EDM 969 [...]]]> In the same week as David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament highlighting Mothers’ Union’s Bye Buy Childhood campaign, Mothers’ Union has launched it’s petition to the Prime Minister asking government to fulfil it’s promise to tackle the commercialisation and sexualisation of children.

David Morris’s EDM 969 entitled COMMERCIALISATION AND CHILDHOOD states that

“That this House notes that childhood is a marketing opportunity worth £99 billion in the UK; is concerned about the effect on children’s wellbeing of the volume and some methods of advertising of children’s products; is particularly concerned about the use of sex to sell to children; welcomes Mothers’ Union’s Bye Buy Childhood campaign which challenges the commercialisation of childhood; recalls the Government’s promise to tackle the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood; and calls upon the Government to take steps to fully prohibit sexualised media, marketing and products aimed at or easily accessible to children under 16.”

To add your voice to the campaign download this petition Bye Buy Childhood petition UK, seek the signatures of all those you know who support the campaign, and then send it to Mary Sumner House (head office of Mothers’ Union) by 10th January 2011 (the address is shown on the petition).

This petition will also be available to sign on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th December 2010 in the ‘charity hut’ at Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market. If you’ve already gained signatures for this petition from your local community you are welcome to bring them to us there for submission at the turn of the year with others from across the Diocese of Winchester.

Local Trustee, Rachel Hartland’s has also featured the Bye Buy Childhood campaign on her blog emphasising the need to use social networks to reinforce social campaigning, and asking which TV adverts cause the most pressure in your home? Why not respond to her queries by reading her blog, or find her on Facebook or Twitter.

The Mothers’ Union’s regional communications officer in the Diocese of Winchester is [...]]]> Mothers’ Union has launched it’s Bye Buy Childhood Campaign, which aims to encourage a cultural shift away from the exploitation of children through marketing, and offers parents support and advice on coping with the impact of our multi-media world on family life.

The Mothers’ Union’s regional communications officer in the Diocese of Winchester is herself mum to a teenage boy, and wife to a secondary school teacher. She believes that to avoid the pressure to buy the latest gadgets, toys and clothes for children, parents have to be resilient to the pressures themselves, and teach children mechanisms to cope, especially in the run-up to Christmas. She says:

“To help our son understand from a young age that adverts on TV weren’t for things that we needed, even if they looked like things we might ‘want’, we used to joke ‘What a lot of things that we don’t need’ and almost turn it into a slogan or rhyme that was said every time the adverts came on!”

She continues:

“We also believe, from my husband’s experience of teaching in secondary schools, that children should not have TVs and video games in their bedrooms – so we have to set an example by doing the same ourselves. Interestingly this sort of example has had an effect – our son now refuses to join a social networking site, even though we both benefit from keeping in touch with friends from around the globe via social networking. He’d rather be doing something creative – preferably outside in the fresh air, or on a musical instrument!”

The Mothers’ Union report describes the key methods by which children are persuaded to buy or pester adults for products and services that they become aware of through premium offers, competitions, give-aways, ‘advergames’, magazine articles and cartoon or celebrity promotions. It asks manufacturing, marketing and retail industries to adhere more carefully to existing regulations and guidelines for selling to children, and wants government to live up to its’ pledge to ‘take steps to tackle the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood’.

The Mothers’ Union Bye Buy Childhood campaign provides campaign resources and a petition so that you can get involved make your voice heard, but will also resource families to think through the issues and take practical action to challenge the commercialisation of childhood within the home.

What are your experiences of the impact of commercialisation on your children?
Please use our ‘comment’ facility on this post, to share your thoughts on this campaign.

Help Mothers’ Union get the UK to say “goodbye” to “buying childhood”.

If you wish to contact our regional communications officer,
please use the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the right hand column of this website.

Research carried out amongst 1,000 parents by ComRes, for Mothers’ Union, showed that 71% of parents believe that the media encourages children to act [...]]]> Research out today shows that 80% of UK parents believe media and marketing with sexualized content is too easily accessed by children, and makes them sexually aware too young.

Research carried out amongst 1,000 parents by ComRes, for Mothers’ Union, showed that 71% of parents believe that the media encourages children to act older than they really want to and that 67% of parents believe that inappropriate content is shown on TV before the 9pm watershed.

Mothers’ Union’s report, Bye Buy Childhood: A report into the commercialisation of childhood published today, reveals new research into parents’ experiences of the pressures that commercialisation brings to bear on family life, and draws on existing research to demonstrate the negative effects that a consumer-culture has on children’s wellbeing.

Speaking at the campaign launch Rosemary Kempsell, Worldwide President of Mothers’ Union said, “Mothers’ Union is concerned at the increasing levels of marketing aimed at children. Brands deliberately encourage a culture of “pester power” or use manipulative techniques such as recruiting young people as conduits for peer-to-peer marketing. This is having a far-reaching effect on children’s values, and their family life. Marketers play on the need that children have to fit in with their friends, to belong. We believe exploiting children for profit is wrong.” Through Bye Buy Childhood Mothers’ Union is calling for change, asking marketing, media and retailers to make a difference to childhood by:

• Not taking advantage of children’s natural inexperience to sell to them
• Not marketing or selling goods of a sexualised nature to children under 16
• Ensuring that children under 16 are not exposed to the marketing and display of sexualised products.

Bye Buy Childhood will tackle the commercialisation of children at every level – from raising awareness to providing support and advice to parents.

“We want to encourage a cultural shift, with new codes of practice put in place so that childhood is both a respected as well as a creative time rather than predominantly a marketing opportunity.” said Fleur Dorrell, Head of Faith & Policy at Mothers’ Union. “Values of good parenting, of belonging and of choosing what brings happiness should not be sold to us as a product or a purchase.”

The full research report can be downloaded here Mothers’ Union – Bye Buy Childhood Report, or from www.byebuychildhood.org where there are further campaign resources.

The Diocese of Winchester are featuring the Mothers’ Union campaign here Campaign Against Commercialisation of Childhood

Mothers’ Union are working on their commericalisation of childhood campaign (see below for more information) and will soon be producing a resource to help families understand and navigate the commercialisation of childhood. But they want the practical experiences of the impact advertising has [...]]]>

A 'Fairy Liquid' advert in a Bob the Builder Mag

Mothers’ Union are working on their commericalisation of childhood campaign (see below for more information) and will soon be producing a resource to help families understand and navigate the commercialisation of childhood. But they want the practical experiences of the impact advertising has on the children in your family, and how you handle them, so that they’re not just spouting theory, but offering practical, lived out ideas that work and will help stop others feeling overwhelmed by the impact of the commercial world!

So what are your

• top tips for dealing (in a practical way) with the influence of marketing and advertising on the children in your family; and/or
• Scenarios when you or the children in your family are particularly influenced by marketing or advertising?

Mothers’ Union are looking for ideas to be submitted by the end of July. If you use the ‘comment’ facility on this blog, all ideas will be passed to our Social Policy Unit at Mothers’ Union.

If you want some ideas about what other people have said before submitting your own, read the comments on the blog of one of our Mothers’ Union members here. But please remember, we want your ideas most of all.

Background:

Helen Goodman, MP, authored a Charter about commercialisation of childhood 3 years ago, but the campaign is ongoing. The points raised in this charter are familiar to all Mothers’ Union supporters who have used the Media Awareness material in the past, and the issues are as urgent as ever. For example, the need to provide support to parents, carers and teachers and accessible resources to help them understand the impact of commercialisation on children and suggest ways they can offset it, for example ways of helping children understand the media (Item 1.5 in the Charter).

To view a summary of the recommendations and a call to sign up to them read http://www.compassonline.org.uk/campaigns/campaign.asp?n=683