【other words of eroticism】

Target does notwant you to dress as a creepy clown this Halloween.

Over the past few months,other words of eroticism people dressed as clowns have been terrorizing folks across the world. And as the spooky costume-centric holiday nears, Target has decided to take action against the clown craze by removing clown costumes from shelves.

SEE ALSO: World Clown Association condemns creepy-ass clowns once and for all

"Given the current environment, we have made the decision to remove a variety of clown masks from our assortment, both in stores and online," Joshua Thomas, spokesperson for Target confirmed to Mashable.

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The in-store costume removal began last week and though several clown masks are still available online, Target has cut back on its selection.

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Products such as the "Happy Clown Latex Half Mask" below and scary-looking "Adult Clown Mask" above are no longer available for purchase on the Target website.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

However, several less intimidating clown costumes for adults and children can still be purchased.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In various instances, pranksters dressed as clowns have terrorized young children, so limited access to the costumes might help cut back on the number of those attempting to scare trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

Stay safe out there, and be sure to consult this handy map to keep track of past clown sightings:

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