By Kathleen Gilbert
SCOTLAND, U.K., January 13, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Scottish Parliament members have called for an investigation into sexually-themed merchandise marketed to young children.
The Equal Opportunities Committee said more research should be undertaken in response to complaints about the sexually themed children’s T-shirts, animal-print high-heel slippers for babies, and pink pencil-cases emblazoned with the Playboy logo.
“We do need more research. I think there is some evidence to show that the goods we’re talking about do sexualise children,” said Nationalist MSP Sandra White.
Other members were less enthusiastic. Former minister Malcolm Chisholm, a Labour MSP, expressed uncertainty as to the prognosis of government action on the claims, adding, “My instinct is not to go forward with this.”
According to the BBC, Playboy has strongly denied that the merchandise in question was intended for children.
This is not the first time the U.K. has come up against the sexualization of young children via merchandise. Two years ago, the retail giant Tesco caused an uproar when it was discovered that the company was selling a pole dancing kit as a toy apparently aimed at 4-6 year olds.
Tesco’s website advertised the kit: “Unleash the sex kitten inside…simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go! Soon you’ll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars.” Tesco removed the item soon after the complaint.
The problem of child sexualization has reached an alarming level elsewhere in Europe. In 2007, LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) discovered that the German government had published booklets encouraging incestuous pedophilia with children as young as one year old. The booklets were obligatory in nine German regions as training for nursery, kindergarten, and elementary school teachers. (https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07073008.html)
Later that year, LSN reported that a respected Norwegian preschool teacher earned support from child psychologoists when she suggested kindergarteners should “express” their sexuality through sexual games, including dancing naked and group masturbating. (https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07101704.html)
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
German Government Publication Promotes Incestuous Pedophilia as Healthy Sex Ed
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07073008.html
Germany Pulls Booklet Encouraging Parent-Child Sexual Massage, but not Child Song Book Encouraging Masturbation
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07073105.html
Kindergarten Children should be Encouraged to Dance Naked and Masturbate in Pre-Schools; Norwegian Child Expert
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07101704.html