have warned that many children believe that marriages are not meant to last
because of the number of
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professional footballers reported having high profileaffairs.
Prominent footballers such as John Terry, Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney, whose
alleged infidelity was widely reported in the media, are admired by millions of
teenage boys, according to Reg Bailey, who is leading a government review of the
sexualisation of childhood.
He has suggested that the actions of celebrities, such as pop musicians and
footballers could be leading to new “norms” in behaviour for children and
indicated that his review for the Department for Education would consider the
issue.
Reports in tabloid newspapers claimed that Rooney had slept with a prostitute
while his wife was pregnant. Just months before England’s doomed World Cup
campaign in the summer, it was alleged that Terry had an affair with the
girlfriend of his England team-mate Wayne Bridge.
Mr Bailey, chief executive of the Mothers’ Union, a charity, is undertaking a
wider review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of children for the
government.
He said that sportsmen and women had a clear influence on children’s
behaviour and ideas of what was acceptable.
“I think there is a fair body of evidence out there that suggests that
children are very influenced by certain individuals, particularly those in the
public eye, a great deal, whether they be pop stars or sports people.
“One area that we will want to look at is where this influence comes from,
what signals do children pick up from an early age and that will include role
models.
“The sexualisation of children is clearly a concern. Many people simply
associate that with girls. I don’t think it is. It impacts both boys and girls
and the review will take account of that.
“Undoubtedly behaviour of people in the public eye has an influence on the
way children and young adults see the way forward. It does have an influence on
children and the way that we see norms developing from that. The review will
certainly look at the whole culture of celebrity influence on children’s
behaviour patterns.”
He suggested that any reforms would need to help parents “feel more
confident” and equipped to deal with the pressures from celebrity coverage in
the media on their children.