Logo of Good Morning Britain
itv |

Weekdays | 6am-9am

Have Halloween costumes become TOO scary for children?

Mum Siobhan Freegard thinks Halloween costumes have become too scary and should come with an age rating, similar to those used in the film industry. But Halloween enthusiast Chris Walton thinks this is a bad idea.

Website runner Siobhan revealed parents have told her they find some costumes to be 'terrifying', citing killer clowns who carry meat cleavers as an example. “Children get nightmares about them when they’re outside the windows. They’re little kids, they can’t distinguish the difference between the fact that that’s a person in a costume dressed up,” she told Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley.

The debate comes after a survey by Siobhan's website Channel Mums found that two thirds of parents would back a strict age rating on Halloween costumes and a further three quarters would like supermarkets to take ownership of the outfits they sell. The survey also found 55 percent of parents felt children’s costumes are too sexualised.

While our guests disagreed about age ratings, they both said some costume themes have gone too far, such as the recent offerings of 'Anne Frank' and 'Oscar Pistorious' outfits.

Watch the video above for the full debate

You might also be interested in:

Logo of Good Morning Britain
itv |

Weekdays | 6am-9am