CANBERRA, Australia, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A new report says Australian children are being used as models in advertisements featuring skimpy clothing, strapless bras and "wet shine" lipstick.
The report, released by the Australia Institute think tank, is titled "Corporate Pedophilia." It found that "tweens" -- or pre-teenage children -- increasingly are being sexualized in sophisticated ad campaigns as retailers, cosmetic and clothing companies strive to reach younger markets estimated to be worth millions of dollars.
"Tween advertising" often positioned children to highlight gender differences such as broad shoulders for males, and defined hips, waists and breasts for females, the report said.
"Children do not yet possess these physical attributes, yet they are dressed and posed as if they do," said the report's co-author, Emma Rush.
A spokeswoman for the Advertising Standards Bureau said it has no active complaints about the use of children in ads and, overall, "the number of complaints we get about this sort of thing are very, very minor."
