This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Ban the use of the term 'Underage Woman' in news coverage of paedophilia cases
By banning the term ‘Underage Woman’ when referring to cases of paedophilia, this petition seeks to directly counter one of the subtle ways in which victim-blaming occurs in society. The media can and should be held accountable for their choice of language when covering instances of paedophilia
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The term ‘Underage Woman’ is paradoxical, as a person under the age of legal consent is legally a child. By continuing to call children ‘Underage Women’, news outlets do not do enough to hold the perpetrators accountable, whist also insinuating that the victim is a willing participant in their abuse. Once the media is forced to change its language when reporting these issues, society will also be influenced by this change.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
We can't accept your petition because the UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for the issue you raise. The UK Government and Parliament aren't responsible for deciding or dictating how things are reported, or the words that people use.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.