By Peter J. Smith
CANBERRA, Australia, April 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – More than thirty experts on children have made an open call for a ban on selling soft pornography by commercial venders such as newsstands, supermarkets, and convenience stores, saying its easy accessibility is contributing to the sexualization of children, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
Thirty-four academics, child professionals and advocates sent a letter to the current committee of attorneys-general/censorship ministers, arguing that the sale of soft pornography should be banned from areas where children can be exposed to it.
The group also asked the ministers and attorneys general to review how so-called men’s magazines, or “lads’ mags,” are evaluated, saying they are getting even more sexually explicit and helping to sexualize children.
Julie Gale, director of the lobby group Kids Free 2B Kids, said that even though children have access to pornography over the Internet, the presence of pornography in publicly-accessible places “gives it public validation.”
SMH reported that Catherine Manning of Say No 4 Kids sent a petition with 8,000 signatures to the attorneys general, also calling for tighter restrictions on the distribution of pornography and citing her concern with the effect of pornography on the psychological development of children.
''Exposure to adult sexualised material can send the wrong message to children about what's expected of them as adults. Girls think they should behave like 'porn stars' and boys expect them to,'' Manning said.