Sexualization in child beauty pageants

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Sexualization in child beauty pageants has been the topic of controversy and debate. Since all contestants for these pageants are minors, there are concerns regarding the potential long-term impacts early sexualization can have on their psyche. [1] These impacts can negatively affect a contestant's self-esteem and relationship with their own bodies throughout their lives due to hyperfixation on achieving professional adult aesthetics at a young age. [2] In more extreme cases, the impacts of early sexualization in pageants can lead to various psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety disorder, and various eating disorders. [3] However, there is also support of children competing in beauty pageants due to the way contestants are challenged to have more confidence in order to be able to compete successfully in these pageants. [4]

Contents

Background

There are several components to sexualization that set it apart from healthy sexuality. Sexualization occurs when a person's value comes only from their sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics. [5] A report by the American Psychological Association more specifically cites sexuality that is imposed on someone, rather than undertaken by choice, as evidence of sexualization. [6] In the United States, the age of legal adulthood and ability to give consent varies from 16 to 18 years of age, [7] yet in child beauty pageants, the children's parents permit them to participate, pay their entry fees, dress them, and train them to perform on stage in front of judges and an audience.

As Vernon R. Wiehe, a professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, states, "sexualization occurs through little girls wearing adult women's clothing in diminutive sizes, the use of makeup which often is applied by makeup consultants, spray tanning the body, the dying of hair and the use of hair extensions, and assuming provocative postures more appropriate for adult models". [8] Many view the child's appearance as obscene or inappropriate. [8]

In preparation for these pageants, children have their appearances altered by costumes, makeup, and other products, which objectifies them at a very young age. [9] The child perceives that sexuality is not only encouraged but can be a means to an end. [8] The child pageant industry involves thousands of contestants and $5 billion a year in revenue, [10] and television networks air in-demand shows like Toddlers & Tiaras and Little Miss Perfect . The viewership implies that many adults not only condone these activities but also view children as sexual objects. [8]

Bikini contests of minors

Miss Tanguita, which translates as "Miss Little Thong", is held in Barbosa, Santander, Colombia as an annual part of the "del Rio Suarez" Festival. Activists say that the competition, though legal, abuses the human rights of minors. [11]

Beginning in 2016, the Miss Teen USA pageant removed the swimsuit competition and replaced it with an athleticwear round. [12]

Training for beauty pageants

The training for child beauty pageant competitors includes long hours and strict daily routines. [13] During training periods, they are often pushed beyond their limits and denied necessary rest. [13] Parents can pay for private coaching, teach their children themselves, or enroll them in pageant schools. [14] Although these children are working long hours throughout the week for the financial gain of their parents, [14] Child labor laws in the United States do not apply to them and the practice remains mostly unregulated. [14]

Support for participation

Despite widespread criticism of child beauty pageants, contestants' parents continue to argue for the positive impact that they have on their children's personal development. Supporters often cite self-confidence and poise as attributes that they learn during the pageant process, and still more defend pageants as being similar to other athletic, music, or educational programs. Since young girls like playing dress up and enjoy participating in beauty pageants, they argue, that they are positive events. [15] The Pageant Director for the Cities of America preliminary pageant system echoes these sentiments and argues that pageants are good for girls—they develop self-confidence by actively trying to be a part of something, they compete with others through a fair process and enjoy meeting others with similar interests. [16] Being able to communicate and network with others is an important skill that children learn at a young age when participating in beauty pageants. Through pageants, they also learn how to communicate with adults. [17]

One mother insists that pageants have helped her daughter "gain poise, confidence, showmanship, discipline and grace." [18] This may be true for some contestants, as the child's attitude typically derives from the parent. When the parents embrace a positive attitude, the children usually follow. In these cases, pageants can teach children how to be gracious winners and good losers. They will learn the aspects of rules and fair play. Thus, pageants teach them how to be calm, cool, and collected in front of crowds. Supporters believe participants learn tenacity when they fail and must move on, and they practice arduously trying to achieve something which proves even more valuable when they are successful. [17]

From some child contestants' perspectives, pageants are fun and a way to make new friends, and they are able to feel good about their friends winning. [15]

Criticism of sexualization in child pageants

There is a wide scope of criticisms regarding children participating in beauty pageants. A writer for the New York Times criticized child beauty pageants because participants and viewers impose adulthood on children while still expecting them to radiate innocence. [19] The appeal of child beauty pageants in this context is the simultaneous existence of adult sexuality and childhood innocence in the contestants. [19]

In 1996, footage of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was broadcast on television across the U.S. of her performing onstage wearing a skimpy outfit with full makeup and hair during a child beauty pageant—viewers felt as if they were watching "child pornography". [20] However, the coverage of her murder investigation became a public spectacle due to the surrounding scandal regarding her hypersexuality in her pageant performances. [21] The scandal marked one of the first instances of the public questioning the practices that take place in child beauty pageants, as the discourse around her adult and sexualized image played a key role in her trials. [21]

Children develop a sense of sexual identity during the ages of adolescence and sexualization makes this task a greater priority during their youth. When parents enter their child into beauty competitions they are encouraging their children to engage in behaviors and practices that are socially associated with sexiness. [22] With popularity of similar child beauty pageant television shows like Toddlers & Tiaras , the public is concerned that young contestants are being displayed as objects of sexual desire to their audience. [23] Reality shows such as Toddlers & Tiaras reinforce the dominant perception of women's worth being inherently and directly linked to their sexual desirability. [23] The reality shows that document the journey of young children through pageant competitions are centred around the physical transformation of the contestants from a typical childish aesthetic to a mature woman's aesthetic. [24] Through observing and learning from the way their environment praises these physical transformations, child contestants in these pageants come to learn that their gender identity is a performed concept and the more sexual, mature, and feminine this performance is, the more they are succeeding in performing womanhood. [24]

Children are in “Child Beauty Pageants” only because of their age. These children are judged along with the same criteria as an adult pageant woman would be judged on. [19] Since the children are aware that their performance is expected to be the portrayal of adult womanhood, it indirectly teaches them that womanhood cannot exist without sexuality. [25] The indirect lessons impact the mindset of young girls in the long term due to its implications regarding gender performance. [25]

There is controversy around the Glitz Child Beauty Pageants due to contestants dramatically enhancing their appearances and provocative performances. Performances and image alterations like the ones displayed in glitz pageants encourage young contestants to believe that having glitz beauty is the only way to gain success in both their pageant and non-pageant lives. [23] Due to the way these pageants are set up so children are directly competing against other children, they come to understand that it is obligatory for them to perform adult "sexiness" in order to receive positive attention and praise from their own parents. [26]

Consequences of child sexualization in child pageants

In reports of children being sexually abused, research shows that the sexualization of children is a contributing factor to their abuse. [8] Also, if a child is winning constantly in a competition that is based primarily on their looks, they are more likely to develop psychological issues later on in life, such as depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. [27] There is also a link to lowered sexual efficacy and contraceptive use later in life.[ citation needed ]

"'Some critics contend that the child beauty pageant culture fails to acknowledge that "sexualized images of little girls may have dangerous implications in a world where 450,000 American children were reported as victims of sexual abuse in 1993." [28]

The hyper attention and judgement towards children's physical appearance in child beauty pageants increases their risk of developing various forms of eating disorders. [3] Some of these eating disorders that have long lasting physiological and psychological impacts include Anorexia and Bulimia. [3]

The psychological problems related to perceptions of the self are long lasting and carry onto adolescence and adulthood due to the hyper fixation on the their physical appearance at an early age. [29] The implications regarding the achievement of "perfection" and the perception of body image that have been taught to these them remain engrained in the way they view themselves long after they retire from pageant competitions and transition into adulthood. [29] Since mothers are usually the parent that is emotionally involved in their child's participation in pageants, there's a lot of information regarding their outlook on the contests. [30] Some of the immense pressure that is put on child beauty pageant contestants are attributed to the overcompensation of pageant moms due to their own insecurities. [30] As a result of these mother's constant pushing, many of these young girls feel as if they let their mothers down by failing to achieve the unattainable standards of beauty and sexuality that is set for them. [30]

In France, after a 10-year-old girl was featured on the cover of Vogue Paris in an inappropriate outfit - not fit for a child, lawmakers banned child beauty pageants altogether. [31] The ban took the form of an amendment to the already established women's rights law and condemned all these pageants for violating children's equal rights due to their objectification in child beauty pageant competitions. [31]

Related Research Articles

An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term adult has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a non-adult or "minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. They may also be regarded as a "major". The typical age of attaining legal adulthood is 18 to 21, although definition may vary by legal rights, country, and psychological development.

Development of sexuality is a part of the development and maturation of children. It includes a range of sensory, emotional, and consequent sexual activities that may occur before or during early puberty, but before full sexual maturity is established. The development of child sexuality and the perception of child sexuality by adults is influenced by social and cultural aspects. The concept of child sexuality also played an important role in psychoanalysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality and psychology</span> Homosexuality as viewed by the field of psychology

The field of psychology has extensively studied homosexuality as a human sexual orientation. The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1952, but that classification came under scrutiny in research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. That research and subsequent studies consistently failed to produce any empirical or scientific basis for regarding homosexuality as anything other than a natural and normal sexual orientation that is a healthy and positive expression of human sexuality. As a result of this scientific research, the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. Upon a thorough review of the scientific data, the American Psychological Association followed in 1975 and also called on all mental health professionals to take the lead in "removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated" with homosexuality. In 1993, the National Association of Social Workers adopted the same position as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, in recognition of scientific evidence. The World Health Organization, which listed homosexuality in the ICD-9 in 1977, removed homosexuality from the ICD-10 which was endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly on 17 May 1990.

The Rind et al. controversy was a debate in the scientific literature, public media, and government legislatures in the United States regarding a 1998 peer reviewed meta-analysis of the self-reported harm caused by child sexual abuse (CSA). The debate resulted in the unprecedented condemnation of the paper by both chambers of the United States Congress. The social science research community was concerned that the condemnation by government legislatures might have a chilling effect on the future publication of controversial research results.

Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, as articulated in the second half of the 20th century by Erik Erikson in collaboration with Joan Erikson, is a comprehensive psychoanalytic theory that identifies a series of eight stages that a healthy developing individual should pass through from infancy to late adulthood.

In Freudian Ego psychology, psychosexual development is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory. Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages in which pleasure seeking energies from the child became focused on certain erogenous areas. An erogenous zone is characterized as an area of the body that is particularly sensitive to stimulation. The five psychosexual stages are the oral, the anal, the phallic, the latent, and the genital. The erogenous zone associated with each stage serves as a source of pleasure. Being unsatisfied at any particular stage can result in fixation. On the other hand, being satisfied can result in a healthy personality. Sigmund Freud proposed that if the child experienced frustration at any of the psychosexual developmental stages, they would experience anxiety that would persist into adulthood as a neurosis, a functional mental disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child abuse</span> Maltreatment or neglect of a child

Child abuse is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to act by a parent or a caregiver that results in actual or potential harm to a child and can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools, or communities the child interacts with.

Verbal abuse is a type of psychological/mental abuse that involves the use of oral, gestured, and written language directed to a victim. Verbal abuse can include the act of harassing, labeling, insulting, scolding, rebuking, or excessive yelling towards an individual. It can also include the use of derogatory terms, the delivery of statements intended to frighten, humiliate, denigrate, or belittle a person. These kinds of attacks may result in mental and/or emotional distress for the victim.

Sexualization is the emphasis of the sexual nature of a behavior or person. Sexualization is linked to sexual objectification, treating a person solely as an object of sexual desire. According to the American Psychological Association, sexualization occurs when "individuals are regarded as sex objects and evaluated in terms of their physical characteristics and sexiness." "In study after study, findings have indicated that women more often than men are portrayed in a sexual manner and are objectified. In addition, a narrow standard of physical beauty is heavily emphasized. These are the models of femininity presented for young girls to study and emulate."

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nudity and sexuality</span> Aspect of sociology

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A child beauty pageant is a beauty contest featuring contestants under 16 years of age. Competition categories may include talent, interview, sportswear, casual wear, swimwear, western wear, theme wear, outfit of choice, decade wear, and evening wear. Depending on the type of pageant system, contestants may be found wearing anything from makeup to fake teeth, known as flippers, as well as elaborate hairstyles and custom-designed fitted outfits to present their routines on stage.

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References

  1. ↑ "APA Task Force Report on the Sexualization of Girls: Empowering Girls". 2007. doi:10.1037/e582772010-001.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ APA Task Force (2010). Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. OCLC   123130352.
  3. 1 2 3 Grosaru, Lucia (7 September 2009). "Toddlers and Children Beauty Pageants- Risk Factors for Severe Psychological Turmoils". Psychology Corner. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  4. ↑ Inbar, Michael. "Parents defend Putting their kids in beauty pageants". Today Parenting. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  5. ↑ Oppliger, Patrice (2008). Girls gone skank: the sexualization of girls in American culture. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company Inc., Publishers. pp. 1–2. ISBN   9780786435227.
  6. ↑ "Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls".
  7. ↑ "United States Age of Consent Laws By State". www.ageofconsent.net. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Vernon, Wiehe. "Nothing Pretty in Child Pageants". kentucky.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  9. ↑ Bartlett, Myke (2008). "Sex Sells: Child Sexualization and the Media". Screen Education.
  10. ↑ Giroux, Henry A. "Child Beauty Pageants: A Scene From the "Other America"". Truthout. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  11. ↑ Raya Desmawanto Nainggolan (14 January 2015). "Wah, Kontes Ratu Bikini Anak-Anak Digelar di Negara Ini".
  12. ↑ "First Look! See What Miss Teen USA Contestants Will Wear Instead of Bikinis on Total Divas". 22 July 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  13. 1 2 Cartwright, Martina M. (November 2012). "Princess by Proxy: What Child Beauty Pageants Teach Girls About Self-Worth and What We Can Do About It". Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 51 (11): 1105–1107. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2012.08.011. PMID   23101735.
  14. 1 2 3 Levey, Hilary (May 2009). "Pageant Princesses and Math Whizzes: Understanding children's activities as a form of children's work". Childhood. 16 (2): 195–212. doi:10.1177/0907568209104401. ISSN   0907-5682. S2CID   145685185.
  15. 1 2 Inbar, Michael. "Parents defend Putting their kids in beauty pageants". Today Parenting. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  16. ↑ Jen. "Pageantry With Purpose" . Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Benefits of Child Beauty Pageants". Kids Formal. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  18. ↑ "Why Beauty Pageants Are Good For Girls". Shine from Yahoo. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 De Witt, Karen (12 January 1997). "Never Too Young to Be Perfect". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  20. ↑ Kibbey, A. (2000). "Trial by Media: DNA and Beauty-Pageant Evidence in the Ramsey Murder Case" . New York Law School Law Review. 43 (3–4): 691–714.
  21. 1 2 Giroux, Henry A. (1998). "Nymphet Fantasies: Child Beauty Pageants and the Politics of Innocence". Social Text (57): 31–53. doi:10.2307/466880. JSTOR   466880.
  22. ↑ "APA Task Force Report on the Sexualization of Girls: Empowering Girls". 2007. doi:10.1037/e582772010-001.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. 1 2 3 Wolfe, L. (2012). "Darling Divas or Damaged Daughters? The Dark Side of Child Beauty Pageants and an Administrative Law Solution" . Tulane Law Review. 87 (2): 427–455.
  24. 1 2 Hodel, Christina (1 January 2014). "Performing the Ultimate Grand Supreme: Approval, Gender and Identity in Toddlers & Tiaras". Girlhood Studies. 7 (2). doi:10.3167/ghs.2014.070208. ISSN   1938-8209.
  25. 1 2 Zaborskis, Mary (2015). "Age Drag". WSQ: Women's Studies Quarterly. 43 (1–2): 115–129. doi:10.1353/wsq.2015.0020. ISSN   1934-1520. S2CID   201782196.
  26. ↑ Morgan, Mandy (18 November 2012). "Toddlers and Tears: The Sexualization of Young Girls". deseretnews.com. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  27. ↑ APA Task Force (2010). Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. OCLC   123130352.
  28. ↑ Giroux, Henry (2000). "Nymphet Fantasies: Child Beauty Pageants and the Politics of Innocence". Stealing Innocence. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 39–64. doi:10.1007/978-1-137-10916-3_2. ISBN   0-312-23932-7.
  29. 1 2 Cartwright, Martina. "Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls?". Psychology Today. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  30. 1 2 3 "Darling Divas or Damaged Daughters? The Dark Side of Child Beauty Pageants and an Administrative Law Solution". Tulane Law Review. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  31. 1 2 "France's Senate votes to ban child beauty pageants". NBC News. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
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