Panties with the words "kiss me" and other fluffily disguised sexual messages seem to be innocent fun. For a grown woman, yes, even tantalising, but not for a young girl.

Sexy children's clothes are everywhere. By dressing our children in these clothes, "we're pimping our kids", my friend, a psychologist, said.

It's not just prudish parents who are concerned with the growing problem of early sexualisation of our children.

A Guardian editorial rightly said: "The explicit tastelessness of a section of the pre-teens clothes market is enough to bring out the prig in the most broad-minded."

Besides clothes, there are inappropriate advertisements, music videos and imagery splashed across our media.

Last week, the British Conservative Prime Minister and father David Cameron announced a plan to address the issue. This was in response to a civil society campaign, most notably by the online support group Mumsnet, and to the report of a six-month review carried out by the Mothers' Union chief executive, Reg Bailey. The Mumsnet campaign, Let Girls Be Girls, lists the long-term impacts of the trend.

Early sexualisation introduces children to the world of adult sexuality, when at the same time we're trying to tell them not to be sexually active too soon.

It tells children, especially girls, that "sexiness' is more important than "cleverness, sportiness, application or ambition". It tells "girls and boys that female sexuality is about pleasing others", and "it encourages a culture in which children are viewed as sexually available".

Adding to this last point, most mothers I spoke to worry about safety. A mother of two young girls said she won't let her girls wear skirts that are too short.

"I don't know who is a pervert or not and when they may come across one," she said.

Another, a nursery school teacher, said: 'Girls at this age are not aware of such dangers yet. They are not experienced enough to understand what boundaries to put in place."

Ironically, to challenge the assumption that dress provokes sexual assault, protests are sweeping across the world. Thousands of scantily clad women are walking the streets of the UK, Europe and the Americas on what are called Slutwalks.

But back to the sexualisation of children. Besides finding that "we are living in an increasingly sexual and sexualised culture", Bailey's report said "it is far from clear how we arrived at this point".

This shouldn't be a conundrum. As women and men worldwide become increasingly aware of how they project their sexuality in what and how they wear clothing, and want to be forever youthful (Why are women shaving their pubic hair? Why are they choosing to look like Lolita?), it's hard for children not to emulate this and to do the same. They present a sexuality they're unlikely to understand, like Lolita did. As long as we chase youth and a fast-food culture of sex and celebrity, so will our girls.