Would you allow a six year old to watch an 18+ movie? How about it they closed their eyes? No? How about stories? Would you read from a book which used words like rape? Ritualistic murder? How about multiple stabbings?

If you said no to those questions, read on. 

On Wednesday 9th June 2021 I was collecting my son from school. BBC Radio 2 was playing and I accidentally left it on while the news segment began. I usually turn if off but was distracted by my son telling me about his day. As we drove away we heard the report which detailed a gruesome murder and how a man had stabbed two girls multiple times then arranged their bodies in a ritualistic position in a bush where they were later found by their friend. He had made a deal with a demon to kill the girls so he could win the lottery.

I couldn't believe my ears.

Maybe it's because I have not heard the news for a long time or maybe it's because I'm a parent now but this was completely unacceptable. We wouldn't allow our children to watch a horror movie so why is it okay for them to be subjected to this kind of detail at 3pm in the afternoon? It's not okay. 

The 9pm watershed was created to protect children from unsuitable viewing but why has that not been extended to the news and radio? This constant cycle of negative and often grim reporting of violent and sexual crime is not suitable for the ears of young minds. They don't need to be exposed to this kind of explicit detail and parents shouldn't have to quickly turn the radio off every hour. 

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