Printed in Letters to the editor, The Age Newspaper, July 31

More signatories have been added to the original  15.

Media Statement 

Fourteen year old rape victim violated again by radio stunt.

Child advocates call for protections for children in the media.

The lie detector radio stunt on 2Day FM involving a 14-year-old girl who revealed she had been raped at age 12, was a gross violation of her human rights.

The girl, Rachel, was strapped to a lie detector test, to be interrogated about school, drugs and her sexual experience by Austereo's Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O and the girl’s mother.

Rachel was deliberately subjected to fear and distress. Her protests that she was scared and that it wasn’t fair were ignored. 

It is the height of irresponsibility to hook any child up to a lie detector test. This is compounded when the intention is to expose a girl to a live outing of her sexual experience. 

Regardless of any excuses about lack of advance knowledge that the girl had been raped, there is little doubt the aim was to publicly shame the child.

A young girl’s sexual experience is not relevant or appropriate for the entertainment of anyone.

Dragging a child onto the media stage to be interrogated with a lie detector about her sexuality is a horrific invasion of her rights. There is a well founded legal assumption of vulnerability and a need for protection of children at this age, which the station has ignored.

This form of public outing and humiliation is abhorrent and must be condemned.  There needs to be a penalty.

What took place in the radio studio was child abuse and should be acknowledged as such. Increasing desensitisation to the needs of children needs to stop.

This program should be axed. 

We call for a national strategy for the prevention of child abuse and exploitation, including in the media.

The Hon Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC, Former Justice of the Family Court and Founding Patron, Children’s Rights International

Tim Costello, CEO, World Vision Australia

Steve Biddulph, psychologist and author

Professor Louise Newman, Director, Monash University Centre for Developmental Psychiatry & Psychology

Maggie Hamilton, teacher, author, What’s happening to our girls?

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Adolescent psychologist

Barbara Biggins, OAM, Hon CEO Australian Council on Children and the Media

Professor Elizabeth Handsley, Professor of Law, Flinders University

Clive Hamilton, AM, Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics

Noni Hazlehurst, AM, Actor, child advocate

Julie Gale, Director, Kids Free 2B Kids

Dannielle Miller, CEO, Enlighten Education

Carla Meurs, Co-ordinator, Solving the Jigsaw

Dr Renate Klein, women and girls health activist

Melinda Tankard Reist, Editor Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls (forthcoming).

Dr Judith Slocombe, CEO, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation

Brother Paul Smith, AM, CEO The Lasallian Foundation

Bill Jackson, CEO, Children's  Rights International

Bernadette McMennamin,  AO, CEO, Childwise.

Suzanne Dvorak, CEO, Save the Children.

 July 29, 2009

Media Enquires: Julie Gale: 0412922253, Melinda Tankard Reist: 0414305378

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws completely vindicate claims by The Australia Institute that retailer David Jones used advertisements that sexualised children as young as 10, according to advocacy group Kids Free 2B Kids. The documents reveal a brief asking for girls aged 10 and 12 to be "more adult and sexy". The girls appeared in an Alison Ashley advertisement created by the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi for David Jones.

"Saatchi & Saatchi hired a top law firm to fight tooth and nail to prevent these documents being released but, after a year-long battle and various appeals, the NSW Ombudsman has finally ordered that some of the material be handed over", said Kids Free 2B Kids Executive Director Julie Gale.

At the time David Jones vigorously denied accusations in the Australia Institute's report, Corporate Paedophilia, claiming the company would never eroticise children and had policies to prevent it. The company sued the Institute and its Executive Director, Dr Clive Hamilton, under the Trade Practices Act but,subsequently dropped the action.

Saatchi & Saatchi responded to the Institute's claims in 2006 saying: "We have never, ever eroticised children in any way for any client in any communication. Not only is the idea repugnant to us, we take very seriously the fact that David Jones is a family brand."

"We now have proof that while David Jones and Saatchi were issuing strong denials they had in fact presented young girls who had been deliberately made to look sexy", said Ms Gale. "The Alison Ashley advertisement that featured in the Good Weekend was the one singled out by the Australia Institute as beyond the pale. The Australia Institute and many others could see that the girls were being eroticised, why couldn't David Jones?", she said.

"The child models who were asked to adopt sexually provocative poses were betrayed, and so were their parents, who entrusted their children to those responsible," she said

Ms Gale called on David Jones to issue apologies to the children, their parents and the Australia Institute.The FoI request was made to the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian which regulates the employment of child models. The Office approved the advertising brief even though it indicated that the young girls would be posed as "slightly more adult and sexy".

KF2BK founder, Julie Gale, will be one of the speakers at the Generation Next seminar series which will be held at various locations around Australia this year. Click here to find out more about the program location and dates.

Kids Free 2B Kids Media Release 26 Nov 2008

Shell/Coles Express says no more p-rn with petrol

Kids Free 2B Kids congratulates Shell/Coles Express for removing Category 1 R-rated p-rn magazines from its nationwide outlets, following the same move by BP last week.

Kids Free 2B Kids has investigated and exposed the availability of porn promoting sex with young girls, rape and incest, via convenience stores, petrol stations and milk bars, over the past two months.

Director Julie Gale said that many of the magazines depicted young girls who appeared to be under 18 or were dressed to look younger, in accessories such as pink headbands, pigtails, school uniforms, braces and soft cuddly toys. Many magazines also depicted graphic sex acts, which are not permitted in Category 1 under the classification guidelines.

"This is an abhorrent genre of p-rn and producing and selling these magazines promotes and validates child sexual abuse," Ms Gale said.

Captions such as ‘Tender Teenage Tw-t', ‘C-m on my Braces', ‘C-m Hungry Virgins,' ‘Freshest Teen Sl-ts' and ‘F-ckable Flatties Special' appear on magazines such as ‘Live Young Girls', ‘Teen Angels', ‘Barely Legal', ‘Finally Legal' and ‘Petite'.

"Shell/Coles Express and BP have both made appropriate and responsible decisions given the content of the material. It is a welcome change to see such action, and I urge convenience stores and milk bars to follow their lead." Ms Gale said.

The issue has been highlighted by Kids Free 2B Kids and Melinda Tankard Reist of Women's Forum Australia and was also raised in recent Senate Estimates.

"The Federal classification system and its State and Territory enforcement arms need an overhaul. They are not working," Ms Gale said.

Julie Gale Director of Kids Free 2B Kids writes:

KF2BK congratulates BP Australia on its decision to remove category 1 R-rated magazines from their stores.

Excerpt from BP letter:

"...we have decided to remove all R-rated materials at all company owned and operated stores. This decision was taken on the basis that we were not comfortable with the titles of some of the range nor did we feel the material was consistent with our company's values.

Whilst our 250 company owned and operated stores are our largest and busiest stores, we have brand/wholesale agreements in place at around a further 1150 stores across the country where we do not directly control what is ranged for sale. However we are in the process of making contact with all these sites to make them aware of BP's clear stance on the sale of R-rated magazines and strongly encourage them to review their own ranging."

This is very good news and we hope that Shell/Coles and other petrol stations, convenience stores and milk bars follow.
The sale of p-rnographic magazines that incite s-x with minors is utterly unacceptable.

The important message is that speaking out does make a difference!

For more information regarding this issue please read ‘latest news' articles below dated 21^st of October and 17^th of September.

 

Julie Gale Director of Kids Free 2B Kids writes:

It is time for a major overhaul of the classification system. Magazines are being incorrectly classified and distributors are flouting the system. This means that hardcore p-rnography is available in corner stores, milk bars, petrol stations and newsagencies.

The issue was raised Monday 20 October in Parliament during Senate Estimates.

See below for a report from Yahoo News.

Read below (Latest News 17/10/08) for Kids Free 2B Kids media release titled 'Attorney Generals must act on corner stores that encourage s-x with minors'.

Shell, BP stretching p-rn boundaries: MP
October 20, 2008, 5:50 pm
Yahoo News

Shell and BP petrol stations are engaged in a rort to sell p-rnography that stretches classification boundaries, a Liberal senator says.

Julian McGauran said corner stores and service stations were abusing the classification system controlled by the federal government.

"There is a rort going on in convenience stores, service stations, Shell, BP, all the major service station shops," Senator McGauran said.

"Category one classification is being abused."

Category one allows a publication to be sold over the counter, sealed in an opaque wrapper.

Senator McGauran raised his concerns while questioning bureaucrats from the Classification Review Board during senate estimates hearings on Monday.

Earlier, Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce tabled a collection of hardcore p-rnography, saying it was readily available in petrol stations.

Senator Joyce raised concerns the p-rnography was encouraging p-dophilia.

"These have received classification, it pertains to an insinuation that these girls are actually underage," he said.

The classification board's acting director Olya Booyar was grilled for about an hour on just what was being done to counteract the publications.

"The board doesn't go looking for publications which should be submitted (for classification)," Ms Booyar said.

Enforcement of classifications was a state and territory government responsibility, one bureaucrat pointed out.

S, part of a three-letter word that spells trouble

October 13, 2008 - Sydney Morning Herald

Julie Gale Director of Kids Free 2B Kids writes:

The Advanced Medial Institute have pasted 'CENSORED' over part of the word s-x, on their 'Want Longer Lasting S-x?' billboards, flouting requests by The Advertising Standards Board to take them down.
It shows that they have no clue, or regard for the reason the billboard should have come down in the first place.
Not because some adults are offended - but because it is harmful to children.

The ASB ordered the billboard down some weeks ago.
We know from comments at the recent senate inquiry, that the ASB has never consulted a child development expert when deliberating on complaints made about billboards.

Given that many of the complaints made about the AMI advertisements have to do with concern for children - one would have thought, that in this instance they would have sought expert opinion.
Allowing the AMI to keep these billboards displayed shows a blatant disregard by the ASB of their potential impact on children.

S, Part of a three letter word that spells trouble.

S, part of a three-letter word that spells trouble

October 13, 2008 - Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney Morning Herald. 13/10/08
by Julian Lee

THE advertising watchdog is to investigate a poster aimed at circumventing a ban on the use of the phrase "longer-lasting sex".

Billboards with the word sex covered by a "Censored" sticker have attracted complaints from the public, triggering an inquiry by the Advertising Standards Bureau. The new posters replace the original ad, which was pulled down last month following an about-turn by the bureau, which was forced to overturn an earlier adjudication that gave the ads the all-clear.

The company behind the ad, which promotes a treatment for erectile dysfunction, said it would defend the revised ad when it came before the bureau's board of experts this month.

The chief executive of Advanced Medical Institute, Jack Vaisman, said: "The bureau's about-face on community standards must be worn by us - every billboard across Australia will be replaced, at a significant cost to the company."

Mr Vaisman said it was frustrating that his ads, which promote a cure for a medical condition, were singled out while other ads using nudity, or sex to sell products escaped censure.

The complaints centre on the fact the letter S is still visible. The bureau's chief, Alison Abernethy, did not wish to be drawn into pre-empting her board's decision. The board will have to weigh up whether the ads breach the industry code, which stipulates that sex and nudity are treated with "sensitivity to the relevant audience".

A child advocacy campaigner, Julie Gale, said the new ads showed the advertiser was not serious about complying with the earlier ruling.

Kids Free 2B Kids Media Release:

ATTORNEYS GENERAL MUST ACT ON CORNER STORE MAGS THAT ENCOURAGE SEX WITH MINORS

Australia’s Classification Board has approved the sale of R-rated magazines which encourage s-x with under-age young girls, according to the Kids Free 2B Kids organisation.

Director Julie Gale said the magazines are being openly sold in milk bars, petrol stations and convenience stores and portray girls who look under-age performing s-xual acts.

Ms Gale said the “Guidelines used by the Classification Board, state that when a magazine is rated R category 1 - ‘actual s-xual activity may not be shown in realistic depiction’, but the girls in these magazines are depicted performing graphic s-xual acts including digital, oral, v-ginal and an-l sex.”

According to Ms Gale “these magazines should be Refused Classification (RC) as the guidelines also state that RC applies if images ‘Describe or depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, a person who is, or appears to be (underline added), a child under 18 - whether the person is engaged in a s-xual activity or not.’ “

Ms Gale said the young women appear underage and are often posed in pigtails, plaits, school uniform, pink headbands and with soft cuddly toys.

‘The magazines approved for sale encourage the s-xual penetration of under- age girls and some of the video/dvd advertisements validate crimes such as incest and rape,” Ms Gale said. “I have complained to the Board and am not satisfied with the response. I have requested that the Victorian Attorney General has the matter reviewed at a Federal level”.

Julie Gale Director of Kids Free 2B Kids writes:

The media releases by the Advertising Standards Board (ASB), the Advanced Medical Institute, and the article in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald regarding the ’ Want Longer Lasting Sex?’ billboards provides evidence that the real issues are still not understood. It’s easy to whip up a public frenzy about morality and community standards and we saw the power of that argument with the recent Bill Henson debate.

In the original ASB determination when community complaints were dismissed, the Advanced Medical Institute (AMI) stated ‘Overall the greater good served by such a message (longer lasting sex) should prevail over the discomfort felt by a very small minority who are uncomfortable discussing the subject of sex with their children’.

Yes, some parents may be uncomfortable, but many are not.

In the recent media release, the AMI stated ‘We’re not out to offend anyone’.

Yes, some people may be offended, but many are not.

The ASB talks about the amount of complaints received and the ‘shift’ in community standards.A ‘shift’ is doubtful, rather the community has been mobilized to speak out and take action.

And let’s not forget that domestic violence and slavery were once acceptable by community standards.

All of this focus, however, is about the adults – their opinions, their concerns, their moral judgments, their prudishness or wowserism or their freedom of speech and anti-censorship rights.

The real issue, however, has in fact got little to do with the adults and everything to do with children.

Billboards in the public domain mean that children are involuntarily exposed to marketing that is not aimed at them. Children are forced to confront issues about sexuality before they may be emotionally ready and are not given a choice about when, and at what pace they start to make sense of their naturally emerging sexuality.

The emphasis on the AMI billboard is on the ‘act’ of sex – the performance of sex – or the ‘longer lasting,’ longer stronger’ sex, and not on relationship, intimacy, communication and respect. It also leaves no space for children to understand that not everyone has to be, or wants to be engaging in longer lasting sex!

The ASB and the AMI are seemingly ignorant of what child development experts and The Australian Psychological Society are saying - that our children are being harmed by these sexualised messages.

In a recent senate inquiry into the sexualisation of children, Amanda Gordon, president of the APS, said that: ‘Developmental psychologists have done a lot of research in this area and one of the problems is that many children can understand at a cognitive level, but it is very confusing at an emotional level because they are not yet ready to be sexual, to have those sexual messages.

The constant bombardment of sexualised messages and imagery in advertising is having a harmful effect on our children and it is a growing global issue.

Sexualisation is linked to increased depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image problems, self harm, sexually transmitted infections and decreased age of first sexual experience.

Our self-regulated advertising system means that no billboards are screened or vetted before they reach the public domain. The ASB is a reactionary board and will only act when a complaint has been received.

When the head of the ASB was asked in the senate inquiry if the ASB receives ‘advice on children and the effect on children’, the answer was ‘to my knowledge they have never requested that advice’.

The advertising industry and corporate world need to be liaising with child development experts. Withdrawing the billboards is a positive step, but acquiring a more fundamental understanding of the issues and acknowledging the harmful impacts on children is vital.

Henson schmenson, take a look at Dolly.

Julie Gale Director of Kids Free 2B Kids writes:

Why is it that "artistic" images of a young girl have created such uproar, and yet s-xualised images of children in the advertising, media and clothing industries remain effectively unchallenged? Have we become so desensitised that we only respond to overt nakedness?

Bill Henson used his skills and experience to create photographs which are considered to have artistic merit. The corporate world utilises sophisticated techniques and big dollars to create their marketing and advertising images. They are very adept at manipulating us, and we have failed to recognise the impact on our children.

It is certainly easier to target an individual than take on a big corporation, and that's one of the reasons "they" have got away with too much for too long. We can demand accountability from Bill Henson the artist, the individual - but who is accountable in the ubiquitous corporate world where the notion of "individual" is lost?

• Who made the decision to put the song Ooh I am so s-xy, soft and smooth on a Barbie CD for little girls?
• Who decided that the "woman" in the Premature Ej-culation and Er-ction Problems billboard should look 14 years old?
• Who decided that playboy t-shirts were a good idea for Girlfriend magazine to give away?
• Who decided to put the wallpaper ads for mobile phones in Dolly magazine that read "I'm a good girl dressed in the body of a sl-t" and "Save a virgin do me instead"? These magazines are read by 9-13 year olds.
• Who decided that soft p-rnographic music video clips are acceptable for P and PG time slots where children have every right to be viewing?
• Who decided that a blowup doll titled "Granny I'd like to F-ck" is fine for kids to view in a chain store that markets to children, and is the ‘Official Home of the Beanie Kids' stuffed toys?
• Who decides that it's ok to flog push-up bras and skimpy undies for little girls?
• Who decides that it's acceptable to make young kids look way too grown up and adult-like in catalogues?

Interestingly, in the case of both the Henson exhibition and the corporate s-xualisation of children, many people engage in debates away from the core issue. This is not about moral panic, censorship, freedom of speech or artistic expression.

In the current social and global context where children are increasingly s-xualised in adult ways, the focus must be on the psychological health and wellbeing of the child. We must be guided by children's health professionals who work daily with children and understand the harmful impacts on their development. A body of research supports their concerns. These are independent witnesses whose testimony should be given greater weight than others, whose motives are questionable, entering the discussion.

The current senate inquiry into the s-xualisation of children is a good example. Without exception, the submissions from organisations and experts working with children have expressed major concerns about how children are being portrayed and what they are exposed to in the media environment. Others, with vested interest in the corporate and media worlds are defensive, protective of their product and seemingly ignore concerns expressed by the Australian Psychological Society.

The s-xualisation of children is linked to an increase in anxiety, depression, body image problems, eating disorders, self harm, and s-xually transmitted Infections. Statistics state that one in four girls and one in seven boys will experience some form of s-xual abuse by the time they reach 18 - and these are conservative figures. Child p-rnography is a major global concern and over 1.2 million children are trafficked every year, many for the s-x industry.

Given this social and global context, it is understandable that there is public outcry over the naked images of a young girl, whose ability to understand the ramifications of her actions may be limited.

Previously, silence has rendered us complicit in allowing the pernicious and insidious commodification of our children.

The terms moral panic, prude and wowser are losing traction. It's time to risk being labeled by academics and groups with vested interests. It's time to speak out and put children's wellbeing first.

W-rds altered by Crikey.