The Chartered Institute of Public Relations has today issued a revision of the best practice guidance for communicating with children.
The guidelines, first issued in November 2009, look at the issues and implications of communicating with children and promote best practice in this area. As well as addressing these issues and implications with regard to the CIPR Code of Conduct, they examine relevant legislation as well as key considerations when communicating with children, such as taking into account the age, maturity level and gender of the child.
This revision incorporates the Advertising Association's call for organisations to pledge to ensure their marketing to children, and involving children, continues to be conducted responsibly. In particular, this new pledge covers recommendation 8 in the Bailey Report "Letting Children be Children" regarding the employment of children for marketing purposes.
Commenting, Phil Morgan, CIPR Policy and Communications Director, said:
Children and young people are growing up in an increasingly commercialised world, and as such exposure to promotional messages is an integral part of their development. However not all promotional messages are commercial: communicating with children on difficult issues now plays a considerable role within the PR industry. Our best practice guidelines on how communicating with children should be handled take this on and we are delighted to be working with the Advertising Association on this subject.
Mark Lund, Chair of the Advertising Association's Children's Panel, said:
The Bailey Report recognised that the commercial world has much to offer children and families, but that we need to ensure we observe sensible guidelines in the way we interact with them. These measures will help industry do just that.
The guidelines also look at what to consider when using online communications, in school communications, and communication with children around difficult issues such as bereavement or abuse. Case studies which highlight best practice are also included from the NSPCC, Yell and the Department of Health, Immunisation Branch.
- view best practice guide (web page)
- view case studies (web page)
- view Bailey report (PDF)
ENDS
For further information, please contact Phil Morgan, Director of Policy and Communication, on 020 7631 6926 or email philm@cipr.co.uk.
About the CIPR
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations is the professional body for PR practitioners in the UK. With over 9,500 members involved in all aspects of PR, it is the largest body of its type in Europe. The CIPR advances the PR profession in the UK by making its members accountable through a code of conduct, developing policies, representing its members and raising standards through education and training.
