Concerns over the sexualisation of children in advertising – such as the Jours Après Lunes campaign discussed by modelling agency Models Direct earlier in the week, which featured child models posing in make up and lingerie – have led David Cameron to hold a child advertising summit this month.

Experts in child development have warned that there is increasing pressure on children to mimic inappropriate behaviour due to certain campaigns and celebrity culture. Ministers have also expressed concerns that children are vulnerable to experiencing low levels of body confidence as a direct result of the use of airbrushing and digital enhancement on models and celebrities in magazines and advertisements. Research by the Children’s Society has suggested that as many as one in five 10 to 15 year old children have concerns around the way they look. These issues, along with child and child model safety and protection are very important to modelling agencies and parents alike and we are pleased to see them becoming the focus of discussion.

A new website, run by media regulators in the UK, has now been created to allow parents to be more proactive in protecting their children from viewing inappropriate material. You can find out more by visiting www.parentport.org.uk. The website allows parents to share views and make complaints if they feel that something they saw was unsuitable for children, but Cameron has also placed emphasis on businesses taking the initiative by doing more to regulate themselves rather than simply responding to government-imposed bans.

He said: “There is a growing tide of concern up and down the country among parents who, like me, are concerned about our children being exposed to inappropriate advertising and sexual imagery and growing up too early. I welcome the progress being made, including the Parent Port website being launched today that will give parents a strong voice and a single hub to air their concerns about inappropriate products, adverts or services.

“But we must do more, so today I call on businesses and industry to go further and in the new year I will again review progress because I am determined we are really making changes that support parents and protect our children,” he added.

In response UK internet providers BT, Sky, Talk Talk and Virgin have vowed to provide a service to parents that allows them to put parental controls in place, preventing their children from stumbling across inappropriate imagery online.

Children’s Minister, Sarah Teather, highlighted the difficulties faced by parents with these comments: “Parents say they struggle to protect their children from sexual images. They are also under pressure to buy the latest must-have items for their children. Parenting is hard enough so we should support them and companies should listen to them.”