Responsible stand urged on `shag bands’

Reports the dangerous `shag band’ trend has reached Tasmania demands a responsible stand by retailers, schools and the wider community, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Stephen Parry said today.

“There are those who will dismiss the risk to children from this fad, arguing kids do not take the meaning of the bands seriously and consider them a joke,’’ Senator Parry said.

“But what is worrying is not so much that children will act on a snapped band, but that the raft of meanings and their name make them a discussion point in the school yard.

“And children should not be encouraged to be `educating’ their school mates – particularly younger ones – about sexual acts.

“The sexualisation of children is a growing social problem in our community, and these so-called `shag bands’ are another example of what parents are up against.’’

An advocate for action against child sexualisation, Senator Parry said every responsible adult had a role to play.

“In this case, if `shag bands’ are becoming fashionable among our children, then local retailers would likely be aware of that and the reason why,’’ he said.

“Responsible retailers would remove these items from their shelves.

“Similarly, I would also urge the state’s Education Department not to leave the issue to individual schools but adopt a proactive and overarching policy of banning `shag bands’ from all school grounds in Tasmania.’
Senator Stephen Parry