European and Greek legislation on preschool children's protection from the use of unsafe toys
Published:
Jan 16, 2014
Keywords:
commercial toys safety of toys protection of preschool children child consumers
Abstract
The present study attempts to examine the impact of laws and legislation on the safe construction of toys and their use by young children. The research hypothesis was that the European Union (EU) and its Member States, particularly Greece, implement administrative measures and penalties for the withdrawal of unsafe toys and inform consumers. Content analysis of European and Greek legislation, notifications and penalties imposed on offenders was used to test the hypothesis and the research objectives. The results showed an excessive number of violations of toy safety standards notified to Member States of the EU through the RAPEX system. Greece, despite delayed harmonisation with EU directives and poor information provided to consumers (parents, teachers, children's caregivers, toy librarians), has taken measures to restrict or prevent the distribution of faulty products.
Article Details
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Katsikonouri, E., & Riga, V. (2014). European and Greek legislation on preschool children’s protection from the use of unsafe toys. Preschool and Primary Education, 2, 27–44. https://doi.org/10.12681/ppej.37
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- Vol. 2 (2014)
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Bennett, N., Wood, L., & Rogers, S. (1997). Teaching through Play: Teachers' thinking and classroom practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Bradley, R. H. (1985). Social-cognitive development and toys. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 5(3), 11-30, DOI: 10.1177/027112148500500303
Brougère, G. (2006). Toy houses: a socio-anthropological approach to analysing objects. Visual Communication, 5(1), 5-24, DOI: 10.1177/1470357206060916
Brougère, G., & Manson, M. (1989-1990). Images et fonctions sociales du jouet anthropomorphe. Etudes et Documents, 2, 66-84.
Corsaro, W. (1997). The sociology of childhood. London: Pine Forge Press.
Cross, G. (1997). Kids' stuff. Toys and the changing world of American childhood. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Dixon, B. (1990). Playing them false: A study of children's toys, games and puzzles. London: Trentham Books.
Frost, J. (2010). A history of play and play environments. London/New York, NY: Routledge.
Garvey, C. (1990). Play: the developing child (in Greek). Athens: Koutsoubos.
Goncu, A. (1993). Development of intersubjectivity in the dyadic play of preschoolers. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 8, 99-116, DOI: 10.1016/S0885-2006(05)80100-0
Gougouli, Κ., & Kouria, Α. (Eds.). (2000). Child and play in modern society (19th and 20th century) (in Greek). Athens: Kastaniotis.
Hillman, M., Adams, J., & Whitelegg, J. (1990). One false move… A study of children's independent mobility. London: Policy Studies Institute.
Hofferth, S. L., & Sandberg, J. F. (2001). Changes in American children's time, 1981-1997. Demography, 38(3), 423-436.
Howes, C. (1992). Sequences in the development of competent play with peers: Social and social pretend play. Developmental Psychology, 28(5), 961-974, DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.28.5.961
Hutt, S. J., Tyler, S., Hutt, C., & Cristopherson, H. (1989). Play, exploration and learning: A natural history of the preschool. London: Routledge.
Kehily, M. J. (2004). An introduction to childhood studies. Maidenhead/New York, NY: Open University Press.
Kline, S., & Pentecost, D. (1990). The characterization of play: Marketing children's toys. Play and Culture, 3(3), 235-254.
Langer, B. (2002). Commodified enchantment: Children and consumer capitalism. Thesis Eleven, 69, 67-81, DOI: 10.1177/0725513602069001005
Linn, S. (2008). The case for make believe: Saving play in a commercialized world. New York, NY: The New Press.
Marcuse, H. (1964). One-dimensional man: Studies in the ideology of the advanced industrial society. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Mendez, J. L., McDermott, P. A., & Fantuzzo, J. W. (2002). Identifying and promoting social competence with African American preschool children: Developmental and contextual consideration. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 111-123. DOI: 10.1002/pits.10039
Miller, D. (1987). Material culture and mass consumption. Oxford: Blackwell.
Piaget, J. (1979). Psychology and Pedagogy (in Greek). Athens: Nea Synora.
Pugh, A. J. (2005). Selling compromise: Toys, motherhood, and the cultural deal. Gender & Society, 19(6), 729-749. DOI: 10.1177/0891243205279286
Sutton-Smith, B. (1986). Toys as culture. New York, NY: Gardner Press.
Trevarthen, C. (2001). How and why babies communicate (in Greek). In G. Kougioumtzakis (Ed.), Progress in the development of first years psychology (in Greek) (pp. 13-32). Heraklion: University of Crete Publications.
Van Gils, J. (2007, September). The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the evolution of children's Play. Paper presented at the ICCP Conference in Brno, Czech Republic.
Winnicott, D. W. (1987). The child, the family, and the outside world. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.
Zelizer, V. (1985). Pricing the priceless child. The changing social value of children. New York, NY: Basic Books.
