British shops to be stopped from selling provocative items

LONDON - Retailers in Britain would be told to stop selling “highly sexualised products” including T-shirts that bear provocative slogans like “Want me, need me, love me”, a media report said Sunday.

A government inquiry has been launched that will examine whether shops should be prevented from selling inappropriate items to pre-teens and children, such as pole-dancing kits and T-shirts which carry inappropriate slogans like “Porn star in the making”, the Melbourne’s Herald Sun reported citing London’s Sunday Times.

The review will also consider stopping sexually explicit music videos from being shown at times when children are watching.

It will also look into whether there is a need for a watchdog or a government-funded organisation where worried parents can name and shame companies.

Sarah Teather, Britain’s children’s minister, has asked retailers to be responsible in the run-up to Christmas, warning that children are “bombarded” with sexual images that are forcing them to grow up too fast.

“There are huge pressures on children to grow up too quickly and to buy stuff, some of which is completely unsuitable,” she said.

“I know when I walk down the high street there is one shop after another marketing highly sexualised clothes to young children: short, tight dresses; T-shirts with unsuitable slogans. You combine that with the advertising hoardings and the pressures that children are under at school.”

The review will look at whether to draw up a code of conduct for “age appropriate” marketing. The code may include guidance on the sale of high heels, sexually suggestive slogans on T-shirts and clothes that follow adult fashion too closely, including lingerie for pre-teens.