Raunchy pop stars 'bad influence on kids'

Melbourne, May 8 (ANI): Children as young as five are mimicking the provocative behaviour of scantily clad pop stars, a new study has revealed.

The finding of the study has prompted experts to urge parents to reject inappropriate children's clothing.

Research by University of South Australia academic Lesley-Anne Ey found that raunch culture is rampant among children, who are learning to pout and thrust by watching music videos.

She found direct links between what children watch on television and how they dress and behave.

Ey's study recorded the types of clothing worn by 366 reception to year 7 students to their primary school disco.

At the discos, she found junior primary school children were also dancing "exotically" in an attempt to copy their music idols - including Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Kylie Minogue.

Ey viewed 402 music videos over a four-month period and found more than 50 per cent - including clips by Lady Gaga and Beyonce - contained raunchy content.

Australian Council on Children and the Media president Elizabeth Handsley said she was not surprised by the findings.

"Some parents do feel that they don't have any power," the Daily Telegraph quoted her as saying.

"We would really like parents to have the courage of their convictions to say no to outfits that they don't see as appropriate, and to be aware of the possibility of long term damage of their children's self-esteem if they buy into a sexualised image of themselves," she said.

South Australian Association of School Parents Club president Jenice Zerna said it was important for parents to be aware and talk to their children about their bodies.

"It is one of those things that you've got to be on top of," she said.

"We want them (children) to enjoy being that little six-year-old or eight-year-old girl without thinking that they're 15 - let them be the age they are and relish it themselves."

Parent Amanda Jarvis said her child Jaye, 9, looked up to singers Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue and Taylor Swift.

"We do talk at home about the way things are: that it's just a performance and it's not the way you would normally dress when you go out," she added. (ANI)