May 21, 2004

The Majority of North Americans Support Restrictions on Marketing to Children.

According to a report released earlier this month in Boston by Knox College and the Judge Baker Children's Center, North Americans overwhelmingly believe that marketing harms children. The report, based on a survey that included both Americans and Canadians, also finds that most adults favor a number of proposals to restrict marketing aimed at children.

In related news, a report issued simultaneously by the Motherhood Project -a member of the Coalition to Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children - finds the advertising industry's self-regulation practices woefully inadequate. According to the report, "There is a glaring gap between what the advertising industry says about self-regulation- and what it actually does."

Taken together, these reports deliver a clear and important message: When it comes to marketing to children, self-regulation is not working.

They both underscore the growing urgency for better and more effective ways to protect our children. Implicit is the need for greater awareness amongst adults who work with children. Adult education programs that address these burgeoning problems in an age dominated by communications technologies and global markets are a must.

To read more about Knox College/Judge Baker Children's Center surveys and related reports, visit:
www.commercialexploitation.org/Pressreleases/survey/htm

To read more about the Motherhood Project's report, visit
www.commercialexploitation.org/Pressreleases/selfreg.htm