theMercury
By Hannah Davies
09jul06
CHILD protection groups are calling for schools to take action amid fears young Big Brother fans will copy the show's notorious "turkey slap" incident.
Campaigners are concerned turkey slapping, males rubbing their crotches in females' faces, could become a playground game when school resumes tomorrow.
"The Big Brother audience is made up of a great number of young children, who are pre-pubescent and impressed by this sort of behaviour," Family Association secretary Angelique Barr said.
"The competitors in the Big Brother house are like heroes to these children and so they need to be told that what their idols have done is wrong.
"Schools need to talk to the children about sexual harassment and explain that it is unacceptable for men to treat women in this way."
Hetty Johnston (pictured), founder of child protection group Bravehearts, said: "Children have to be told that this is disgraceful behaviour.
"Unfortunately, many youngsters will have seen this incident and think it's funny, and believe that if they do it they will look cool.
"I wouldn't be surprised if this was the latest sexual offence to go around the schools."
But Tony McGruther, president of the Queensland Association of State School Principals, said schools would not be discussing the incident.
"We wouldn't want to address that incident because it would give it notoriety," he said.
"Discouragement of harassment of any kind comes under the broader heading of bullying and is and addressed very quickly."
