A group educating children against child sexual exploitation is calling on parents to choose their kids' costumes carefully this Halloween.
The Children of the Street Society is once again pointing out that dressing youngsters up as a "pimp" or "ho" glamorizes the sexual exploitation of youth.
"The message is simple: it's not socially acceptable to dress up as a 'pimp,' gangster, sex trade worker or wear costumes that sexualize youth this Halloween. Earning a profit off of the buying and selling of children and youth, glamorizing the sex trade for a gangster lifestyle is only further contributing to our false perceptions about these harsh realities," executive director Diane Sowden stated in a press release.
Instead, the society is encouraging children, youth and adults to choose appropriate costumes that represent their own individuality and creativity.
According to the group, which provides workshops for students in School District 43, the average age of kids entering the sex trade in Canada is 12 to 14 years.
