SALT LAKE CITY — With just two days until Halloween, some Utahns are rushing to find costumes that fit their personal, family and cultural values. But they're having a difficult time. The trend is costumes that are sexy for girls and too violent for boys, or even ethnically insensitive costumes.

"Lots of violent costumes for little boys but I'm more concerned about the little girls costumes, which are more seductive for little girls," said parent Sabrina Beck.

She's not alone. Robert Wathen's little girl opted for a butterfly costume once dad didn't see any costumes he wanted his little girl to wear.

"Originally my little girl, who is 6, she was going to be a witch," Wathen said. "But all the witch costumes seemed to be a little risqué, if you will."

Halloween costumes tend to follow what's happening in popular culture so zombies and vampires are pretty hot costumes. Top retailers like Walmart, Target, Sears and JC Penny's are selling a variety of costumes, but the ones that concern parents include a young Japanese Geisha, a sexy Gothic ballerina, and even a sexy Hello Kitty costume for your teenager.

While superhero costumes are very popular for boys, a trend toward more violent, bloody costumes like zombies or the grim reaper has some parents concerned.

"Sometimes we're being pushed toward TV shows, movies that tend to be more violent or sexually oriented," said parent Laura Heugly.

But Heugly says she's seeing a change where manufacturers are starting to listen to customers' concerns. For example, guns that look a lot less scary.

"You have to go with your pink, orange, purple guns that (don't) look as realistic because they want to avoid any potential lawsuits," Huegly said. "I think if we stand our ground and say, 'No, I do want longer skirts,' the demand will follow and then manufacturers will figure it out because money speaks."

Cultural and racial insensitivity

Another debate going on with Halloween costumes are that they're racially, culturally and religiously offensive.

Some students at the University of Utah want to help people be aware of what those offenses could be. The campaign is aimed at helping people step outside of their experiences and to consider how people would feel with costumes associated with racial, religious or cultural themes.

The misappropriation of culture, ethnic identity, by using them as costumes," said Eduardo Galindo who is on the University of Utah Diversity Board.

For example, Galindo says costumes like this sexy nun, priest or LDS missionaries can be religiously offensive and trick or treating could be disrespectful.

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Popular culture is always a go-to destination for Halloween costume ideas. In 2011, it was Occupy Wall Street, Rebecca Black or Steve Jobs. In 2012, with the help of election season and reality TV, costumes have taken a turn for the weirder.

The students working on the awareness campaign, also want people to re-think their Halloween costume when it's tied to racial and cultural groups. Examples include a costume of a Mexican on a donkey or a white girl painted in black face, depicting an urban gangster.

"Where did you get these stereotypical ideas from? They're perpetuated in many different areas," said Annette Bankhead with the "Dress Up or Mess Up" campaign. "So it's not just Halloween. It's not just one day."

"Halloween is supposed to be a harmless holiday that we celebrate then we need to make sure that we're creating figures that are harmless," said Fattima Ahmed a campaign organizer. "And what we see here, they're not harmless."

Campaign organizers say people might criticize the project for being hypersensitive or too politically correct. But they say these images underscore a larger issue within society.

"It's easy to say 'Oh that's just being too sensitive.' But when it's you and something or your identity that's being commercialized or being made fun of it's not so funny anymore," said organizer Theresa Laufau.

Organizers encouraged people to think, not only about what other might find offensive, but about yourself and what you might find offensive.

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