# Letting Children be Children/Theme 4

Published by the Department of Education in London.
​THEME 4
Making Parents' Voices Heard
"I think people need to know that they are not the only ones that feel strongly about unsuitable images for children and that it is a positive thing to express their views."
Parent, Call for Evidence response
​Overview
* Parents have told us that they feel they cannot make their voices heard, and that they often lack the confidence to speak out on sexualisation and commercialisation issues for fear of being labelled a prude or out of touch.
* Business and industry sectors and their regulators need to make clear that they welcome, and take seriously, feedback on these subjects.
* Given the technology available, regulators and businesses should be able to find more effective ways to encourage parents to tell them what they think, quickly and easily, and to be transparent in telling parents how they are responding to that feedback.
* Once parents know that their views are being taken seriously, we would expect them to respond positively towards companies that listen to their concerns.
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
That parents find it easier to voice their concerns, are listened to more readily when they do, and have their concerns visibly acted on by businesses and regulators.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
We have been struck during the course of this Review by the apparent contradiction between the clear concern of many parents about the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, and the fact that regulators, broadcasters and businesses receive few complaints about such issues relative to other types of complaint.
Figure 11: Level of parents' complaints compared with the number of unsuitable images and products seen by parents
* The Review’s omnibus survey showed that 40 per cent of parents had seen things in public places (for example, shop window displays or advertising hoardings), and 41 per cent had seen programmes or advertisements on TV, in the past 3 months that they felt were unsuitable or inappropriate for children to see because of their sexual content. However, only 8 per cent of parents had ever complained about such things.
* In the parental Call for Evidence, respondents were asked to think about when they had been out and about with their child/children over the last few weeks and if they had seen any images aimed at children that they felt were inappropriate for their child/children to see. Of the 846 people who answered this question, a substantial minority (330) said they had.When asked whether they had seen images aimed adults they felt were inappropriate for their child/children to see, of the 874 people who answered the question, 576 said they had. ​
* Respondents to the Call for Evidence were also asked about shopping for their child/children over the last year and whether they had come across clothes, toys, games, music videos or other products that were not appropriate for the age group they were aimed at. Of the 873 people who answered this question, 389 answered 'Often' and 388 answered ‘Occasionally’.
Source: TNS Omnibus Survey, 2011 and Review Call for Evidence
These relatively low rates of complaint may reflect the fact we have already observed (in the Introduction) that commercialisation and sexualisation issues are not the top—most priority for parents. Some business and industry contributors to this Review have certainly
Despite some good practice, notably from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the consumer complaints landscape is complex, confusing and inconsistent and certainly does not encourage parents to voice their concerns or make complaints. Our omnibus survey showed that the majority of parents (92 per cent) have never complained about things (for example, products and adverts) whether in public places, on television, on the internet, in a newspaper or magazine that they felt were inappropriate for children because of sexual content. This was because they have never needed to (43 per cent), they didn't think anything would be done (22 per cent), didn't know who to complain to (15 per cent) or didn't get round to it (13 per cent) (Figure 12).
​Figure 12: Reasons parents did not complain
Why have you not complained when you have seen things you felt were inappropriate for children because of sexual content?
Source:TNS Omnibus Survey, 2011 Weighted base: 1199 parents of children aged 5-16 in UK
​Knowing who to complain to–a complex complaints landscape
Figure 13: Overview of the complaints landscape on taste and decency
Sources:Websites of regulators, Directgov (2)
Advertising
Broadcasting
Retail
Print media
"With girls I think she sees the celebrities and she associates them with perfect... think that's how she's got to look. She's only 7 and she'll talk about someone being pretty and thin, and that's directly because of the magazines."
Parent, Review qualitative research
"When I was eleven I read a teenage magazine for the first time and that's when it kind of clicked, 'I should be like this '.
Young person (Girlguiding UK, 2008)
In terms of the editorial content of the print media, parents contributing to the Review reported very little concern although there were a few comments made about the age-appropriateness of the content of some teenage magazines. The main regulatory body for the print media, the Press Complaints Commission, is responsible for complaints on the editorial content of newspapers, magazines and their websites but its remit expressly excludes matters of taste and decency (Press Complaints Commission, ​2011). Matters of taste and decency in print can only be raised with the publication in question, although complaints specifically about the sexual content of teenage magazines can be directed to the Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel (TMAP) but only after the complaints process of the magazine in question has been exhausted (Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel, 2011). However, the panel has only ever ruled on three complaints, with its last adjudication in April 2005, and Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, has described TMAP as a "toothless watchdog".
Knowing how to complain – making it quick and easy to express a view
When we asked parents in our Call for Evidence what would make it easier for them to complain about things they thought were inappropriate for their children, it was obvious that the quickness and ease of making a complaint was a big factor (Figure 14).
Figure 14: Making it easier for parents to complain
| What would make it easier for you to complain about things you think are inappropriate? | Total |
| Knowing someone would take my complaint seriously | 763 |
| Knowing a website I could use to make a complaint | 604 |
| Knowing there would be a quick complaints process – no need to fill in long forms etc | 533 |
| Knowing a telephone or text number to make a complaint | 302 |
| Knowing an address to write to make a complaint | 201 |
| Nothing – I probably wouldn't complain more than I do now even if it was easier | 33 |
| Other | 18 |
*There were 968 responses to this question: figures do not total 968 as respondents could select more than one suggestion. Source: Parental Call for Evidence
Ideas for making complaining easier
* "Complaints details on till receipts."
* "Anonymous feedback forms in store."
* "Every advertising poster to have a freephone number for complaints."
* "Something like the “How’s my driving?” stickers but for shop windows and posters."
* "Advisory messages before and after TV programmes with details for complaints, in the same way they sometimes give a phone number to call if you have been affected by an issue."
Source: Parents, children, young people and organisations, Call for Evidence responses and interviews
The feedback loop – demonstrating to parents that comments and complaints are taken seriously
"I felt that I was a small fish in a big ocean swimming against the tide. I would have no effect."
"I have never felt it would make a difference if I did complain."
"I have often complained but nothing comes of complaints except polite letters acknowledging them."
"Even if the company agrees, they always cite policies, guidelines or rules from above preventing them from doing anything about it."
Parents, Call for Evidence response
The second barrier that parents contributing to the Review specifically mentioned was that they either felt, or feared being made to feel, embarrassed if they complained about issues of taste and decency. Interestingly, although the regulators who responded to the Call for Evidence commented on issues concerning the complaints process (for example, ease of complaint, transparency in complaints processes ​and so on), none picked up on the possibility that parents might fear ridicule or embarrassment.And while the retailers we spoke to for this Review clearly felt that a complaint direct to the store was the best avenue, some parents reported feeling intimidated or embarrassed by having to do this.
"I felt prudish!"
"I feel that our society trivialises sex and treats people who complain about inappropriate imagery as prudish or old—fashioned. I don 't feel that I would be taken seriously."
"I was embarrassed to make a complaint!"
"My daughter doesn't like it when I complain in shops! Also, I don't want to draw her attention to inappropriate clothes etc."
Parents, Call for Evidence response
More people might complain... if you didn't have to speak to anyone."
Parents, Review qualitative research
The Government's new consumer empowerment strategy 'Better Choices, Better Deals; Consumers Powering Growth' (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Cabinet Office, 2011) commits all government regulators to greater transparency, both in providing timely and clear feedback and data to consumers on complaints, and in supporting and nurturing greater customer feedback, including instant feedback through new technologies. It would be extremely encouraging if regulators would choose commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood as an area of particular focus when considering how to act on this new strategy, and this could be a very positive way of helping to overcome the barrier of feared social stigma that some parents clearly experience:
Edward Davey, Minister for Consumer Affairs quoted in 'Better Deals, Better Choices'
RECOMMENDATIONS
Making it easier for parents to express their views to businesses about goods and services. All businesses that market goods or services to children should have a one–click link to their complaints service from their home page, clearly labelled 'complaints'. Information provided as part of the complaints and feedback process should state explicitly that the business welcomes comments and complaints from