Music videos face crackdown over sexualised content

Government report into sexualisation of childhood set to propose tougher regulations on retail, advertising and video industry

The singer Rihanna has faced criticism from parents' groups for her music video in which she shoots someone who raped her. Photograph: Joe Stevens/Retna Ltd/Corbis

Tighter regulations on sexualised music videos and a single portal for parents to complain about products that are inappropriate for childrenare to be proposed by a government report into the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood.

The chief theme of the report will be the empowerment of parents to complain about inappropriate material, including advertising, partly by offering an easier way through the current confusing fog of regulatory bodies.

The report has been commissioned by David Cameron from Reg Bailey, the chief executive of the Mothers' Union and a long-term critic of premature sexualisation, and it is due to be published on Monday.

Bailey is likely to give the retail, advertising and video industry 18 months to improve their act voluntarily or face tougher government regulation.

He is also expected to demand some regulatory bodies such as Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority do more to ensure they seek the views of parents on what is acceptable to show to children.

The report is also set to criticise the growth of peer to peer marketing, where companies hire teenagers to sell or promote products in school.

Bailey has been armed with devastating research findings showing parents are very worried at what they see as the premature sexualisation of children by industries, including some high-street retailers eager to tap a profitable market, and as a result make children more sensitive about their appearance.

Next, FCUK and Top Shop have all produced adult styling in mini sizes.

Cameron has already urged Bailey in public to come up with tough findings. Critics will complain that the government is trying to recreate a Victorian image of childhood that takes no account of how the digital age has transformed childhood irrevocably.

Ofcom has been criticised for being out of touch over sanctioning the use of sexualised images on the X Factor.

The review has already led bodies such as the ASA and the BPI, responsible for the music industry, to make pre-emptive efforts to show they are aware of the criticism of the way they currently operate. The ASA has promised to set up an advisory body, as well as regulate advertising on company websites.

The music industry is expected to be told to put some kind of advisory age rating such as films have on music videos. Earlier this week the pop star Rihanna was unrepentant for filming a music video in which she shoots someone who raped her. She has faced massive criticism from parent groups in America.

Critics are likely to argue that in practice these music videos go out on TV and parents will unable to stand over their children and prevent them watching them.

Latest figures sent to the Bailey review suggest that half of children have access to TV via their computers in their own bedroom.

Senior figures associated with the review have been struck by the complacency of some industry bodies. Senior figures at the British Retail Consortium said last month that the retail industry had not changed what it sold to children, but parental conventions of what is acceptable have changed.

Bailey is likely to be asked by government to follow through his report to ensure his recommendations are implemented. Ministers are aware that the previous government published three reports into sexualisation of children in various aspects, but little happened.

But Helen Goodman, the shadow justice minister, said: "The voluntary approach has been tried and failed. We must have tougher regulations across the media, including social media." Pester power is the pollution of modern advertising and we should follow the polluter pays principle. This advertising leads to most conflict in families living in poverty and is a just a pressure that mums do not need."

Findings from a survey conducted for the Bailey review show that:

• Two-thirds of parents had come across clothes, toys, games, music videos or other products that they thought were inappropriate for the age group they were aimed at.

• 40% of parents said they had seen things in public places (shop window displays, advertising hoardings) that they felt were inappropriate for children to see because of their sexual content.

• 41% of parents said they had seen programmes or adverts on TV before 9pm that they felt were unsuitable or inappropriate for children because of their sexual content.

• Of those parents who had felt the need to complain about these issues but hadn't, over 60% said that they had not done so either because they didn't think anything would be done or they didn't know who to complain to.

• Around half of parents felt that celebrity culture, adult style clothes and music videos are encouraging children to act older than they are.

Bailey has previously said: "For us to let children be children, we need to let parents be parents. That means giving parents the support and encouragement they need to help their children understand and resist the harms they face.

"But it also means putting brakes on ever greater commercialisation and sexualisation facing children in modern society. Only then can we look to create a truly family friendly society that protects children."