WATCH: A Victoria mother stopped short at her local Value Village — appalled by some of the costumes aimed at young girls. And as Kylie Stanton reports, her campaign got some immediate results.
In less than two weeks, kids will be heading out the door in their favourite Halloween costumes to do some ‘trick or treating.’
While there will be lots of super heroes and princesses going door-to-door, there will also be some more risque outfits.
Diane Sowden, Executive Director of Children of the Street Society, says children’s costumes are definitely becoming more sexual.
“Halloween is supposed to be a fun, family time, and costumes should be scary, creative and individual,” she says. “But the trend is to sexualize children and youth to be the sexy nurse or the teacher’s pet.”
Sowden says it takes away from the seriousness of the sexual exploitation of children.
“It gives an image that it’s okay to sexualize children and youth,” she says.
Sowden says that social networking compounds the problem, and it can give predators another opportunity to contact children and victimize them.
She says the average of entry into the sex trade is 13-14 years old.
“It’s not appropriate to have those kinds of costumes and be wearing them in the school hallways and to dances on Halloween,” says Sowden.
Sowden says the Children of the Street Society has sent a letter to B.C. schools about appropriate costumes, and most schools have been “very supportive.”
Value Village reached out to Global News saying they will be removing certain merchandise from their stores.
Every year, we select our Halloween inventory based on feedback and demand from shoppers. We’ve taken the recent comments surrounding certain Halloween costumes sold in our stores very seriously, and as such, are removing this merchandise from our sales floors. We apologize to those who were offended, and as we move forward, we will evaluate all costumes and packaging keeping this specific customer feedback in mind.
Many concerned parents took to social media to express their concern.
Many responded favourably after Value Village committed to removing the merchandise in question.
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