Session Five
Tying in the Draft Statement to the Youth Study
Lines 781-789: “In a consumer-driven society, parents sometimes feel helpless to offer the kind of protection they would like to provide. Children and youth are deeply influenced by media that emphasize sex appeal. This is widely accepted even though such sexualization of children and youth is often identified as emotionally, physically, and spiritually dangerous. It is a formidable challenge to counter the appeal of popular culture in clothing, music, and the media. Nevertheless, congregations can be forums in which parents can express these concerns and explore solutions together."
Lines 1325-1334: “There is much work to be done by this church in the area of corporate social responsibility. Businesses and corporate interests that profit from the objectification and misuse of sexuality should be challenged. They should also be held accountable for portraying and reinforcing the message “sex sells” to millions. Efforts should be made to work with public and private institutions50 to create structures, policies, and practices that hold them accountable to social norms of protection. These include codes of practice that protect society, especially children and the most vulnerable, from the misuse and abuse of sexuality for profit."