PETITIONOpenPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Introduce regulations governing media reporting of abuse of women and girls
Abuse, assault and harassment of women and girls is a serious issue, one that has been described as a "national emergency". One in 12 females in the UK are victims, and a staggering 97% of women aged 18-24 have been sexually harassed. Yet media reporting of the issue normalises and trivialises it.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
167
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 167/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 167/100,000
Background
Regulations must prevent media reports from using incorrect terms that trivialise these crimes. There is no such thing as an "underage woman" - that is a child. "Underage sex" between an adult and a child does not exist - sex with a child is rape. The word "sex" should never be used to describe rape ("sex scandal", "accused of sex with").
This language normalises rape and child abuse, creating a culture where these are minimised and ignored. Laws must enforce correct terminology to clarify the severity of these crimes.