An entire generation of young girls is being psychologically damaged by the onslaught of marketing tactics surrounding inappropriate “sexy” children’s fashions, toys, music, books and sexualized images in the media, and parents should be very concerned.
According to the American Psychological Association, in their Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, girls as young as 4 and 5 years old are no longer wearing “old-fashioned” clothing styles but are now wearing push-up bras, thongs, mini or micro-mini skirts, sequined crop tops and other hooker-style “fashionable” outfits. Well, how about that? Walk into any number of department or boutique stores aimed at young girls, and you will find clothes that were once reserved for fully grown, adult women akin to Fredericks of Hollywood.
Young girls are being bombarded by images they see on television, in magazines, children’s books and toys, and are facing greater pressures to “fit in”. Supermarket giant Tesco came under fire again for selling a padded push-up bra for girls as young as seven, and it’s not the first time Tesco has come under fire for selling similar products to young girls and teens. The in-depth APA Report says the prevalence of eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem, has greatly increased in very young girls, also saying that girls are more likely to have underage sex as a direct result of the media’s sexualization of children.
Ten year-old girls are sliding on their low-rise jeans over “eye-candy” panties, wearing slutty Halloween costumes, and high heeled shoes, with young girls worrying about their weight and physical appearance at much younger ages. Young girls, and young boys, are wearing racy, obscene and violence-related clothing, including T-shirts with alcohol and sexual innuendo messages displayed.
Little girls are learning how to be “sexy” and how being pretty is important, as well as learning how they can look like Bratz dolls, according to Diane Levin, PhD. Professor of education at Wheelock College in Boston. Levin is soon to release her new book, So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture, stressing that the problem is not that children are learning about sex; the problem is what they are learning about relationships. Girls are being taught to be sexy and that being sexy is extremely important, even at a very young age. They’re not learning how to treat others as people, they’re learning to treat others as objects, says Levin.
Make no mistake about the sexual influence on young girls, from the likes of celebrity stars Miley Cyrus a.k.a. Hanna Montana, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears, Lindsay Lohan and numerous other high-profile actors, actresses and musicians. The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media today are very real and are likely to be a negative influence on girls’ healthy development, says Eileen Zurbriggen, the APA’s task force chairwoman. “As a society, we need to replace all these sexualized images with ones showing girls in positive settings. The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents - boys and girls - that lead to healthy sexual development.”
Parents think it’s clever or “cute” to allow their young girls to wear tight T-shirts that say, “So many boys, so little time”, or smiling as their young daughter sings “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?”, but likely won’t be so amused when they’re child becomes sexually active or pregnant by the time they turn 12.
Parents need to protect their children as much as possible. As much attention as there has been about protecting kids from pedophiles, parents can either play a major role in contributing to the sexualization of children, or they can play a protective and educational role.
The APA recommends that parents support campaigns, companies and products that promote a healthy and positive image of girls and boys. Complain to manufacturers, advertisers, television and movie producers and retail stores that “sell sex” with their products targeting children. Parents should be very careful that they’re not raising Lolita in the Classroom, but encourage girls to become involved in sports and other extracurricular activities that promote talents, skills and abilities over their physical appearance.
Talk to your young children about sex, even as young as 3 or 4 years old, because they’re already learning about sex and “sexy” and how girls “should” be sexy to get attention from boys. If you haven’t paid close attention to what kids are seeing on mainstream television and in movies, you might be stunned to see the flirtacious female characters, sexual innuendos, racy body language and the importance placed on being “hot”.
Even if you’re not a parent of girls, but only have boys, you’re still not out of the woods. Consider the effects sexualized girls has on boys, and your feeling of relief of not having girls to be worried about will likely be gone for good. Fashion trends in clothing for boys depict disrespectful, violent themes with sayings on T-shirts such as, “Mr. Pimp”, “Mr. Well-Hung” and similar disgusting messages.
As a parent, have you noticed how children are being sexualized by marketers, celebrities, and other media? Are you concerned about the effects this is or may have on your own children? What are you doing to protect your own children from these pressures?
Further Reading:
You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Say About You
Miley Cyrus AKA Hanna Montana Goes Topless For Vanity Fair
Let’s Talk About Teens and Sex
Popularity: 19% [?]
60 responses so far ↓
1 Todd in Hawaii :-) (8 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 3:08 am
Hi Lin,
I am far from a prude … in fact, if you ask my wife, I’m probably a little too lenient with my kids.
But, I do remember a couple of years ago when my girls were still living with their mom, we stopped in a major discount store (no names, to protect the guilty), and while we were browsing the little kids clothes section, I noticed that there was a whole rack of those short-shorts with the words on the butt (you know the ones that say “cheerleader” and things like that). The thing that really got to me, was that they had them in little girl sizes 4-6-8.
I vividly remember shaking my head and thinking why is that even necessary.
Ugh, and I’ve got another girl on the way in August … almost makes me worry that my wife didn’t get her wish for another boy.
Catch up with you again soon,
Todd
2 PlanningQueen (5 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 6:21 am
An excellent post about an issue I have been giving some considerable thought to lately. Thanks for all the links. I have bookmarked this and will go through and read them.
3 Miley Cyrus AKA Hanna Montana Going Topless For Vanity Fair | Telling It Like It Is // Apr 28, 2008 at 7:18 am
[…] Mother’s Day 2008: What Moms Really Want So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture […]
4 Donna (1 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 9:30 am
The only way to combat this is to “just say no” to inappropriate clothing for your kids. My daughter is 12 and I’ve been battling this since she was in preschool. The truth is, it’s HARD to find girls’ clothes that are appropriate for girls, but if you look hard enough, you can find them. WHY do companies market high heeled shoes for little girls who need to run and play? Why the sexy pants and tops that look like miniature versions of what a 20-year-old would wear?Because we moms buy them. If we stopped buying, they will stop making them.
5 Hungry Mother (45 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 10:58 am
I was really shocked when my 3 year old granddaughter ran around naked after a shower with a saucy look on her face, sticking her hip out. She had to have seen that stuff somewhere.
6 TM // Apr 28, 2008 at 11:04 am
While I agree that the clothing described is totally inappropriate for young girls, I am a little disturbed by your apparent need to use terms like “hooker” in order to make your point… it’s inappropriate clothing for a child, there’s no need to reach out for other words to describe it.
7 cory at agoodhusband (5 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 11:30 am
I don’t have kids yet. I don’t look forward to having to deal with this issue.
I don’t understand how some parents can think it’s okay to dress their children sexy. It’s just not okay.
8 Melissa (1 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I agree, this is a huge problem and it is very frightening to me how the media and retailers do not seem to agree. I read a fascinating book about this subject this past year, called Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit. http://www.girlsgonemild.com/
9 Jordan (1 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Yesterday I read about Miley Cyrus on the cover of Vanity Fair and was thinking - - isn’t she only 15?
I posted on my blog about the same topic of ramping up the sexy factor on girls who are 5 years old and up
I’ve got an article I wrote laying dormant called Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Bratz Dolls on this very subject.
When it is revised and it will be I’ll send it to you!
I also find it very disturbing that moms especially ones over 30 are dressing like trash. Yes I have to shop in the juniors section because 6 is to big and 4 is too small. So I’m a 5. Let me tell you how hard it is to find clothes sometimes!
10 lilly // Apr 28, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I have 2 boys and am grateful to not have to worry about being overtly sexy at such a young age. But I see their classmates (ages 14 and 4 years old) wearing heels (the younger in plastic) and sexual innuendos on their tshirts and cannot understand how a mother would buy these items for their daughters. My older son went through a phase where he wanted to be goth, I solved this by refusing to purchase clothing that would give him that image. I explained to him that it is not only clothing but perception. If he does not want to be perceived in a negative way, don’t look the part.
I don’t understand the parents of girls that want their daughters to grow up to be president or doctors but dress them to look like strippers.
11 Mike New (2 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 3:09 pm
It makes me sick to see how companies are pushing trendy, slutty fashion on younger and younger girls. There’s got to be an end to all of this!
12 Mom @ Wide Open Wallet (1 comments.) // Apr 28, 2008 at 4:02 pm
It’s so true. A few years ago I was shopping for underwear for my daughter who was 3 at the time. I had a pack in my hand ready to buy them and then I noticed they were thongs. I was shocked! Why do they make thongs in a size 3T??? Seriously, rainbow bright should not be on a thong! There is just something so wrong with that.
13 Lin's Daughter // Apr 28, 2008 at 8:48 pm
This is just disgusting. Why would stores want to supply such things that are inappropriate for such young kids? Even when my mom and i are shopping for clothes for me, and i see these “hoochie” looking clothes, i just turn and walk away and look for something else.
When i was young, my mom would have me dressed up in cute little girly dresses and everything, but once i got older, i was just all about wearing Jeans and a t-shirt. I went through my phases to see what i liked best. I still wear jeans and t-shirts. But i don’t wear shirts that would appear to be provocative in any sort of way.
And just seeing the types of things that are being available to young kids, is ridiculous. I might only be 18 years old, with very few thoughts about “when i have kids…” it’s going to be scary in the future.
If these types of things are being sold NOW, with no one actually DOING something to stop it, how much worse is it going to be for your grandkids? My kids? My grandkids? and all the Generations after? The world has a history of repeating itself. So if this is what the world looks like now, imagine how much worse it’s going to get.
14 Jayson (1 comments.) // Apr 29, 2008 at 4:18 am
Thanks for posting about this. We were actually discussing it a few months back and it’s a serious problem IMO - twenty years ago this would have been laughed at and now girls begin life as young as 6 or 8 trying to be “sexy”. I would never let my kids dress like this, boy or girl.
15 Allan (6 comments.) // Apr 29, 2008 at 5:45 am
I’d like to know where the feminist movement stands on this one? Are they still around?
I’d want boys growing up respecting my daughters, and not viewing them as sex objects. It’s a bit hard expecting that respect when they are dressed in clothes like this from a young age…
16 Chris (9 comments.) // Apr 29, 2008 at 1:17 pm
We only have our selves to blame. If stop buying then they will stop selling. Mass media and corporate America do not control the type of clothing that goes out there for our children; we do. Before a product goes out or a movie is shown, it gets tested extensively whether it will be accepted by the public or not. This means that our taste as a society and as parents as a whole has changed and American Consumerism is just reflecting that changed.
17 Kim (16 comments.) // Apr 29, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I actually read this and then went to lunch and had to discuss this at lunch. I was shocked.. yep.. shocked to know they make thong underwear for kids.
I had the same feeling as Allan did.. that I want my boys to respect girls.. but it is so hard when the media shoves sex down your their throat.. and that is putting it mildly. It is really hard to shield your kids from provocative clothes when all the “other” kids are wearing them… I don’t understand how parents of little girls would even buy that stuff.
18 Daniel (1 comments.) // Apr 29, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Another great post by Lin!!!
The best way to get this done is not to let your kids be Controled or Taught by the TV.
If you are a dedicated parent and you do not want this done to your kids, then you will do what is necassary.
=)
19 Lin (640 comments.) // Apr 29, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments. It’s a very important topic for parents to carefully consider how they may be contributing to the sexualization of children, especially their own kids, without realizing how marketers are accomplishing this right under their noses.
I agree that it is often very difficult to find appropriate clothing for young girls, and even for boys in some cases, but it is doable.
Parents have to stop buying this stuff for their children, and really take an active role in getting their voices heard by contacting marketers, advertisers, and others mentioned in this post and let them know you’re fed up with children being sexualized through the media.
20 Bob O (2 comments.) // Apr 30, 2008 at 12:37 am
You are so on target with this post! The problem is that there are parents out there that are buying these items for their little girls. Its ridiculous!
My parents bought my step-daughter some t-shirts from American Eagle for Christmas one year. I had to ask them to return them. They did not realize there were sexual innuendo’s on those shirts (i.e. The Bush Barn - All you can eat buffet). To this day, even though they dropped those lines of clothing, I refuse to buy anything from AE. While the kids get these innuendos, unfortunately, there are a lot of adults out there that don’t get it and are still buying stuff like this without a clue! We used to fight with my step-daughter all the time over her wanting thong underwear…at age 13! because all of her friends had them…and “her friends parents think we’re too strict.” You don’t know how many times we heard that one!
21 Sandra Prangenberg (1 comments.) // Apr 30, 2008 at 9:17 am
I think movies and media are playing a vital role to spoil the kids.As kids these days want the same things as they watch in movies.I think this is quite a concern for parents.
22 Online Degree Program (1 comments.) // Apr 30, 2008 at 11:43 am
I am a college aged guy and so I do not really notice what is targeted towards boys and girls, but I will tell you this, after reading your article, it is disgusting what is marketed. I do have a niece that is almost 5 and I hope that nothing influences here like that. She has great parents and the mom hates commercialization so I think she will be all right. I hope that by the time I have kids, that I can make sure they grow up without the world telling them how to grow up. Thanks for the post.
23 You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Say About You | Telling It Like It Is // May 1, 2008 at 7:47 pm
[…] Further Reading: So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture […]
24 PSI Mom (1 comments.) // May 1, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I think it is shocking myself-where will it end. They are teaching children at a young age that looks are everything, and a way to get what they want. I can only hope that the children of these kids today will rebel by being conservative.
25 Lin (640 comments.) // May 2, 2008 at 6:49 am
Thank you everyone for carefully reading this very important post for parents especially, and leaving your comments. This is a subject that is so important for people to really understand what is going on and how marketers are targeting children and teens.
26 Weekend Roundup: Busy Week Edition | beingfrugal.net // May 3, 2008 at 6:33 am
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27 Links for Super-Charged Living - May 3, 2008 | My Super-Charged Life // May 3, 2008 at 8:31 am
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28 Frugal Dad (4 comments.) // May 3, 2008 at 9:07 am
This is a great article! I remember the outrage I felt last Halloween as I witnessed kids trying on “sexy” costumes and displaying them for their parents. I’m talking 13 year-old girls in fishnets, heels and French maid outfits. The parents all laughed and had a big time. I remember feeling like snatching up one of these “cool” moms and dads and asking them if they had any idea what they were doing to encourage promiscuity. Unbelievable.
29 Lin (640 comments.) // May 3, 2008 at 9:10 am
FD, I know exactly what you mean. I’ve seen the same thing and it’s amazing to me that parents think it’s “cute”. Which makes the marketers laugh all the way to the bank, all while young girls and boys are being sexualized well before they are ready for the responsibilities.
30 JHS (7 comments.) // May 3, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I am frequently aghast at the clothing I see on little girls. This is a topic that every parent should be concerned about.
Thanks for participating in this week’s Carnival of Family Life hosted by Riley at All Rileyed Up! Be sure to drop by and check out the other wonderful submissions included in this week’s Carnival!
31 Personal Development Carnival: Issue 38 | The Next 45 Years // May 4, 2008 at 11:26 am
[…] So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture by Lin Burress […]
32 David Leonhardt (2 comments.) // May 4, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Egads! Some of the things my daughter wears and even wants to wear … and she’s not even seven yet. What blows my mind is that they can even make these things and sell them in a mainstream store.
My wife doesn’t think there is anything wrong with the grown-up undies, but thankfully we both agree about the outerwear.
33 Riley (1 comments.) // May 4, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Great post. I think about this all the time with my kids. I go on and on about how much I dislike the trend of sexy Halloween costumes — I don’t even like them on adults, much less kids.
34 Lin (640 comments.) // May 4, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Hi David, the fact that your wife doesn’t see any problem with the grown up undies simply shows how well marketers have worked to make these type clothes seem harmless, even to parents. Sexualizing children has been going on for many years now, introducing new sexier clothing styles for a younger audience, so gradually that it sometimes appears that the sexy clothes have always been around.
35 Lin (640 comments.) // May 4, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Riley, it’s disgusting how sexy Halloween costumes are targeted towards children, younger and younger aged kids wearing these costumes every year. Parents have to make a strong stand and let the marketers, “fashion” designers and stores know we will stop buying in their stores if they continue to sell these items.
36 Carnival of Family Life: Garage Sale Edition « All Rileyed Up // May 5, 2008 at 1:27 am
[…] not all clothing is funny, as this post points out: Lin Burress presents So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture posted at Telling It Like It Is. […]
37 isabella mori (6 comments.) // May 6, 2008 at 5:16 pm
just like your first commenter, i really am anything but a prude, and i certainly don’t belong among those who are against condom machines in schools or think children should never see a boob on a magazine cover.
but it makes me angry how this supposedly “cute” fashion is shoved into our children’s and grandchildren’s faces. an 8-year-old simply has no clue, and has absolutely no need to have a clue, as to what it means to be “sexy”, with all its implications.
it’s like asking a 90-year old to play at a video game competition, or teaching an 18-month-old to read.
this has NOTHING to do with healthy, happy, fun sexuality and EVERYTHING with greed and thoughtlessness.
38 isabella mori (6 comments.) // May 6, 2008 at 5:26 pm
oh, and btw, my youngest daughter’s school does not allow girls to wear certain clothes. it’s just an ordinary public school where the principal and staff stood up and made the right decision. needless to say, there’s no way i’m buying those clothes. my 11-year-old daughter is 100% in agreement.
39 Lin (640 comments.) // May 6, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Hi Isabella, little girls and little boys have no business wearing “sexy” clothes, or clothes that have sexual innuendo messages on them, so we’re in agreement. The problem I have is how children are actually being targeted on purpose with these inappropriate, “adult” style clothes.
A year or so ago I bought my grown daughters each a set of Juicy Couture track suits, but none of them had anything inappropriate written on them whatsoever. I’ve since seen some Juicy Couture-wear for young girls that raise my red flag warning radar.
40 Semantically driven: blogging about blogging, parenting and living in Australia. » Carnival of Australia 7 May 2008 // May 6, 2008 at 8:48 pm
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41 Deborah Robinson (4 comments.) // May 10, 2008 at 8:31 pm
This article has been included in the latest edition of Mom’s Blogging Carnival
42 Beyonce’s House of Dereon: Sexualizing Children | Telling It Like It Is // May 10, 2008 at 10:23 pm
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43 Jeff // May 11, 2008 at 3:43 am
The danger of a computer in a teens room.
Believe it or not internet adds have over as the main source of advertising.
Most will connect to a websiye. I ‘m amazed on how many parents wont let there child watch r rated films , but pay no attention to what teens are looking at on the internet.
I’m appaulled about your tube. I actually came accroos a 12 year old doing a strip tease.
Parents saying my kid is better than that is as ignorant to believeing your child will never touch drugs.
44 Rob O. (18 comments.) // May 11, 2008 at 5:00 am
My wife & I were out at the mall for the first time in many months yesterday and as we walked by Hollister Co., I was stunned. Simply stunned. This is a very trendy clothing store that a great many teens fawn all over.
The male mannequins outside the entrance were garbed in pants that slung so low that they’d be showing pubic hair - and maybe even more - if they weren’t made of only-slightly-less-anatomically-correct smooth plastic. Really, it was shocking and a little disgusting that this is the example that retailler is setting for kids.
Parents have got to start paying more attention to this kind of stuff. Vote (or rather veto) with your dollars, folks. Refuse to allow your kids to support companies that’re in the business of sexualizing tweens & teens. Take a keen interest in the content of the media your kids are being exposed to - is it encouraging good models of behavior?
Unless your child earns his/her own income, remember that YOU are in control here - if you don’t give your kids the cash, they can’t spend it on trash!
I’m at the same time really relieved that my son is only 2 so I don’t have to worry much about this yet, yet it scares the hell outta me what I’m going to be facing in 8-10 years from now. I’m trying really hard to lay foundations now that’ll safeguard against the rampant consumerism that’s going to try to worm its way into his life soon enough.
45 Rob O. (18 comments.) // May 11, 2008 at 5:10 am
Y’know, it just occurred to me:
You hafta wonder if these companies who’re intent upon outfitting children in inappropriate, “adult” style clothes have given even a moment’s thought to the very real possibility that they’re feeding into the seemingly-increasing societal problem of pedophilism…
Disgusting.
46 Lin (640 comments.) // May 11, 2008 at 5:56 am
Jeff, I strongly recommend that children/tween/teens do NOT have a computer in their rooms. They should also NOT have a television in their room either.
Parents have got to pay much closer attention to what their kids are being exposed to, whether through their online activities or television/movie viewing, and do everything possible to protect children from becoming sexualized before they are mature enough to handle the responsibility.
47 Dirty Dancing at Eisteddfods Dance Contest: Premature Sexualization of Children | Telling It Like It Is // May 17, 2008 at 11:51 pm
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48 Bollywood Hot Actress (1 comments.) // May 20, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Hmmm, i like sexy dresses for me, but i’m not too sure if my younger sister or if a little girl like what is shown in the picture should be exposed this early to this kind of fashion. Imagine what they’ll wear once they grow up! They’d think showing off in skimpy skirts and shrinked tank tops would be the most natural thing.
49 Smilie Saturday: Linky Love Weekend Roundup Second Edition | Telling It Like It Is // May 24, 2008 at 5:03 am
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50 The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It | Telling It Like It Is // May 28, 2008 at 5:07 am
[…] required reading for all parents, as Durham provides the results of her 13-year research into the sexualization of children, especially girls between the ages of 8 and 12. In her book, she makes the argument that there is a […]
51 Katie (1 comments.) // May 28, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Thanks Lin for such a well thought out post.
I have 2 daughters - 12 and 6 and each year I find it increasingly difficult to find appropriate clothing. But when I do, I buy it up by the armloads!
I just recently found shorts for my 12 y/o that were actually long enough for her to play in without exposing herself. I bought 3 pairs in her current size and 3 pairs each in the next two larger sizes!
Another thing that I’ve seen recently is girls 8, 9 and 10 years old with navel piercings. What in the world does a child need with a belly button ring? I can’t imagine what these kid’s parents are thinking!
52 Lin (640 comments.) // May 28, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Hi Katie, I completely understand the difficulty in find appropriate clothes for kids these days. It is doable, but obviously a challenge for many parents. I applaud your efforts and the great idea of buying in bulk once you’ve found clothes for children that are appropriate for them to wear. Great idea!
53 Everything Family Issue 2 // Jun 3, 2008 at 2:12 am
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55 Dr. Robyn Silverman (1 comments.) // Jun 6, 2008 at 11:08 am
Hi Lin-
Thanks for your insightful comment on my blog about sexualization of girls by the Disney princesses. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve all just lost our minds.
I remember when I used to wear my Wonder-Woman Underroos when I was about 6 years old– Wonder Women was the one with the “sports bra-type” top. I thought I was very cool. I liked it because it made me feel grown up– but still– I was trying to be like Wonder Woman, a very cool superhero, not like Lolita, as many of these new clothes suggest.
Do you think the girls today would think we were splitting hairs? Was there outrage at the Wonder Woman underoos set? Would the young girls of today cite our “days of the week” underwear as the same as their “eye-candy” underwear?
As a Child Development Expert and advocate for girls, I don’t like these new developments at all. It’s as if people think it’s as harmless as dressing their dog in a sweater that says “bad to the bone” on it. We can all see why girls love the stuff though– it makes them feel grown up, more like “Mommy” or “Aunt so-and so” or their babysitter– they don’t know, and they need us to guide them to realize that it also makes others look at them as more grown up than they are…and that, most definitely is not a good thing most of the time.
Dr. Robyn
http://drrobyn.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/disney-princesses-sexualizing-your-daughters-dr-robyn-responds/
56 Lin (640 comments.) // Jun 6, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Dr. Robyn, it’s such an important topic for parents and everyone to really understand. The effects of sexualizing children at a very young age has terrible consequences for kids.
I’m happy to have found your site and am continuing to follow along in the discussions.
57 Rose (2 comments.) // Jun 26, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I have noticed how children are being sexualized by marketers and I just blogged today about today’s sexual lyrics. Beyonce’s new children’s clothing line is anything, but cute and I wonder what parent in there right mind would put a shirt from Pimpfants on their baby. I certainly don’t think it’s harmless. Let little girls be little girls.
58 » Sexualisation of young girls in fashion by Rose DesRochers - World Outside my Window // Jun 27, 2008 at 12:42 pm
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60 Solution (1 comments.) // Jul 16, 2008 at 8:36 pm
To some degree this stuff is natural - sexuality begins far earlier in kids than most people will admit openly (read the psychoanalytical studies) - but to what extent it is not, it can only be combatted by responsible parents.
Indeed, as a previous poster said, Just. Say. No.
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