Children exposed to 'inappropriate' TV content before watershed

A MAJORITY of parents believe children are being exposed to "inappropriate" content on television before the watershed, according to research.

An online study of 1,004 parents of children under 18 revealed 67 per cent thought such content was broadcast before 9pm.

A further 80 per cent told the Mothers' Union survey that they believed films and video games with sexual or violent themes could be accessed too easily by children.

The research, conducted last month, also showed 80 per cent of parents believed television, films, magazines and the internet made children sexually aware at a younger age than they would be otherwise. The Mothers' Union wants a ban on marketing or selling goods of a sexualised nature to the under-16s.

It is also concerned about the recruitment of youngsters on the internet for so-called "peer-to-peer" marketing, under which children are encouraged to pass e-mail addresses of friends to advertisers and promote products to other pupils in the playground, the report said.