Child development professionals challenge Witchery, call for boycott

We have written about Witchery Kids advertising before. Witchery has ignored child development professionals concerns and persists with treating children as 'miniature adults.'

Today in the Herald Sun

Guest post from Collett Smart, as published on The Tween Factor.

Students and school staff really enjoy the vibe that a fresh school year provides. New friendships, new uniforms, new teachers, new opportunities! So you would be forgiven for thinking that this sign was advertising back to school stock at a news agency!

As staff and children all over the country came to the end of their Christmas holiday break and began preparing to return to school this month, an adult shop called Love Play in Barkly street, St Kilda chose to warp this period by encouraging school themed fantasies of sex with minors.

Child experts and advocates say 'Let children be children.'

A number of Collective Shout supporters contacted us about the latest Witchery catalogue, which portrays children in adult styled clothing and poses.

The issue has since hit the media with a number of child advocates speaking out about the catalogue.

Recently, a letter organised by Kids Free to be Kids was presented to the Standing Committee of Attorney’s General censorship ministers with the signatures of over 30 child advocates, including educators, academics and psychologists. These people called for the sale of restricted publications to be limited to adults-only premises. They also asked for a review of the classification of publications guidelines to determine whether there should be more stringent requirements for the display of the so-called “lads” magazines such as ‘People,’ ‘Picture’, 'Zoo', 'Ralph' magazines. You can read the full letter and view the signatories here.

As a grassroots movement challenging the sexualisation of children and objectification of women, Collective Shout supports these proposed measures. We call on all our members to make their voices heard in order to make this happen.