The Student Room Group

Do you think Primark selling push bras to 9 yr olds is acceptable?

A few years back primark started marketing push ups and bras for kids as young as 9. Do you think this says something about the society we live in terms of how liberal we are with sexuality.Obviously no sane person would condone paedophilia yet it seems to be alright to have baby modelling contests and bikinis for nippers.

Sex is used to sell everything in music videos, billboards, adverts etc so Primark had the "brainchild" to use children next? personally I find it repulsive and bordering on criminal.

Your opinion?

Bear in mind that kids used to marry at the age of 12/13 a few hundred years ago or as soon as the female menstrual cycle began.

There is also a crazy time when Tesco was marketing pole dancing kits for young girls....and we wonder why England has the highest teen pregnancy rates and STIs in Europe.

Some people have asked for links to the info: you can google it or http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8619329.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7589004/Primark-withdraws-padded-bikini-tops-for-seven-year-old-girls.html
(edited 12 years ago)

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Reply 1
It's absolutely outrageous. Young girls don't need to be pressured into wearing these types of clothes by their friends, let alone retail chains.
Absolutely not. Its awful.
Some people need bras at 9, but I don't think they need to be push up! :lolwut: Just normal bras would be fine.
I almost spat my tea out my mouth.

No way, I never wore a bra when I was 9. I might even have still wore those cute vests, although I can't remember exactly...
Normal unpadded bras for those who develop early is more than enough. We don't want sexy Primary school children targetted by weirdos.

Kids like to play dress up, that's fine, but sexy dress up in heels, mini skirts and push up bras? :puke:

One of my best friend's nieces is 6, tall, pretty and wears heels and carries a mini handbag and makeup applied by her mother. She's a lil diva and I do wonder about her sometimes.... She doesn't wear it for school but she does when out with her Mum shopping or visiting family. Kids get pushy when they want something but a line does need to be drawn between acceptable for kids and only for grown ups.
(edited 12 years ago)
its terrible but whats worse is using 9 year olds to make push bras.
Why is it any less acceptable than fully grown women wearing clothes that sexually objectify themselves? People are always saying "oh it's outrageous to allow children to wear high heels, push-up bras etc." but if you wear any of these then you've succumbed to the conventions of patriarchal society yourself. If you truly want to stop the market for age 9 push-up bras then stop wearing them yourselves; children only copy what adults do.
Reply 8
Original post by xev bellringer
A few years back primark started marketing push ups and bras for kids as young as 9. Do you think this says something about the society we live in terms of how liberal we are with sexuality.Obviously no sane person would condone paedophilia yet it seems to be alright to have baby modelling contests and bikinis for nippers.

Sex is used to sell everything in music videos, billboards, adverts etc so Primark had the "brainchild" to use children next? personally I find it repulsive and bordering on criminal.

Your opinion?

Bear in mind that kids used to marry at the age of 12/13 a few hundred years ago or as soon as the female menstrual cycle began.


Its all about what kids want. when I was 13 all I wanted was bigger boobs, I wanted to grow up, and I didnt even had my period. Its got nothing to do with sex. From an ethical point of view? no its not right. However there is a market for it for sure.
.....This is ******* shameful!!!

Basically Primark get poor kids to work for them in terrible conditions and force them to make push up bras for other kids here.

Bloody disgrace!
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 10
Absolutely not. What are their parents doing?
Original post by PurpleMonkeyDishwasher
Why is it any less acceptable than fully grown women wearing clothes that sexually objectify themselves? People are always saying "oh it's outrageous to allow children to wear high heels, push-up bras etc." but if you wear any of these then you've succumbed to the conventions of patriarchal society yourself. If you truly want to stop the market for age 9 push-up bras then stop wearing them yourselves; children only copy what adults do.


An adult woman can fully understand what she's doing, a 9 year old probably wouldn't understand why she was even wearing a push up bra. It's not the same. It's acceptable for people to choose to wear what they want when they're able to make that decision.
Reply 12
Push up bras are the worst evil. You see a girl in one and you think "mmm", you take it off and THERE'S NOTHING THERE!!!
Original post by PurpleMonkeyDishwasher
Why is it any less acceptable than fully grown women wearing clothes that sexually objectify themselves? People are always saying "oh it's outrageous to allow children to wear high heels, push-up bras etc." but if you wear any of these then you've succumbed to the conventions of patriarchal society yourself. If you truly want to stop the market for age 9 push-up bras then stop wearing them yourselves; children only copy what adults do.


That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Adults can do plenty of things that children can't do, like drink alcohol, drive ect. Generally children don't copy these things until they are old enough, and if they do for instance drink alcohol, it is against the law as it isn't appropriate, and it is hopefully stopped.

There are things that are appropriate for adults to do, and things that are appropriate for children to do. There is a line, and push up bras for 9 year old girls is crossing it.
Reply 14
Original post by Wave
Push up bras are the worst evil. You see a girl in one and you think "mmm", you take it off and THERE'S NOTHING THERE!!!


Damn straight! :mad:
Probably happened to quite an unfortunate handful of us :frown:.
Well, they stopped selling them, therefore are society obviously isn't that liberal, because they stopped selling them due to public opposition.
Reply 16
You know what I think?

I don't blame Primark. There is clearly a market for the product, otherwise they wouldn't make it. And I wont expect a company like Primark to fo your parenting for you. So if you have a problem with the product, look at the market and see who is responsible for it. The answer of course, is the parents. So rather then being outraged at a private comapny just trying to turn a profit, why don't you put the blame where it lies.
Reply 17
Well when you see 4 years old picking out their "My FIrst Bra" Bra, 11/12 years ols buying lace thong sets and sattin dressing gowns, it does repulse you yes. The ammount of people I have seen buy those things in Primark is rediculous, cosidering I work there.
Original post by LipstickKisses
An adult woman can fully understand what she's doing, a 9 year old probably wouldn't understand why she was even wearing a push up bra. It's not the same. It's acceptable for people to choose to wear what they want when they're able to make that decision.


How much choice is truly involved in a woman's decision to wear high heels? It makes no sense for a woman to want to wear them as an end in the action's self. Women wear them to sexually objectify themselves whether they like it or not or realise it or not. It's a similar issue to that in Arab nations where women "choose" to wear burqas.
Original post by AlmostChicGeek
That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Adults can do plenty of things that children can't do, like drink alcohol, drive ect. Generally children don't copy these things until they are old enough, and if they do for instance drink alcohol, it is against the law as it isn't appropriate, and it is hopefully stopped.

There are things that are appropriate for adults to do, and things that are appropriate for children to do. There is a line, and push up bras for 9 year old girls is crossing it.


The reason they can't do any of those thing is because it's unsafe for them. It's completely safe for a child to wear a push-up bra, it has nothing to do with appropriateness; that is something that is completely subjective. As an above poster has said, it's not Primark's fault that there is a market for these kinds of items. If you don't want your children to wear such clothing then don't wear it yourself.

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