Too much, too soon? Children, ‘sexualization’ and consumer culture

Abstract

This article presents a critical analysis of how the issue of childhood ‘sexualization’ – and the role of consumer culture within it – has been defined and framed, both within the public debate and in the academic research literature. It counterposes this with some evidence taken from a study conducted in Scotland in 2009/10 about the availability and nature of ‘sexualized’ goods, and the perspectives of parents and children. The article suggests that parents' and children's perceptions of the issue are more complex than is typically assumed within the public debate; and that this in turn points to the need for more sophisticated responses at the level of public policy and of education.