Over Sexualization of Children

Alright, so this topic might seem a little strange to you, but in today’s society, specifically in the United States of America, the sexualization of children is becoming a nationwide epidemic. I am not exaggerating when I say nationwide epidemic, because I see that this problem is growing faster and getting bigger every day at an alarming rate. Every time I turn on the news, and see parents messing with their kids, just look at Toddlers and Tiaras, or Honey Boo-Boo, but most of all just look at the sexualization of children in which I am going to explain in this post, for those who don’t know what I mean.

I don’t know how many people remember but in 2009 the company that makes Barbie dolls had to remove several of their dolls, their reasoning being that, and these dolls are for young three or four year olds, one was called “Pregnant Barbie” which had a detachable stomach, in which the women was pregnant, and basically it was a pregnant Barbie. Now this gave the wrong impression to young children (I agree). Now, Barbie banned it and has had it removed. The second thing was another Barbie which was “Tattooed Barbie”, and “Tattooed Barbie” had inappropriate tattoos all over her body. Again these are for young children. And so yet again this Barbie was removed and actually I’m quite surprised that they haven’t come out with “Divorced Barbie” yet, but hopefully you understand my point, that these toys are developed and based upon society, sex, the sexualization of children, and what appeals to young kids. Which I don’t think getting pregnant at four or five years old is exactly what I’d call appealing or even possible, and I understand fully why parents wanted those Barbie’s removed. It’s just wrong in my opinion to sell that to kids, but for those of you who don’t know there is also a clothing line, and I have seen these clothes and they are just pathetic, they’re gross, especially for little kids to wear.

So this underwear is for girls who are four or five, kids who are probably right out of diapers, and that piece of underwear is pink and it says “Who needs credit cards?” I am not kidding. Do you not see what I’m talking about? What the problem is? This is a growing epidemic, you have four and five year old little girls, whose parents put clothes on them, not all parents of course, but it is getting worse. In other words, who needs a credit card, I mean you don’t have to buy child pornography, when here is this little girl wearing these little panties that basically invite people to sexualize her. That’s what that means. It is pulling people to look at young children, sexualizing them. I guess the problem that I have with that is not necessarily that the child is being sexualized, although that is wrong, but the problem is that the parents do not do anything about it. In fact if you read the articles based upon the Barbie scenario, and then the clothes being published with these girls wearing tight skirts, showing their butt and everything else, the parents think it’s a “minor” problem. They think “Oh, it’s okay, it’s okay to dress my child like that.” What they may not realize is that it is inviting people to objectify and sexualize their children at that young age. The terms that are being used to describe these young children whose parents dress them up like this, are called “hot-tots” or “prosti-tots.” Obviously its slang, but all this is doing is teaching young for to five year old girls that the most important thing is to dress up “sexy.”(I put Sexy in quotes because no matter how I look at it, toddlers are not sexy, at all, ever. Even if they have a ton of makeup on, that does not make them sexy, that makes them look ridiculous.) Or that the most important thing is to have a “sexy” body. This is being instilled in children at such a young age, because of the parents not standing up for their own child. To look cute, and pretty has developed into something so sickening, and depraved, that I don’t even understand how parents can think like this. What pisses me off more is that some parents just do not get it. They do not understand. They can’t comprehend why wearing “Who needs credit cards” on a five year olds butt is a problem.

The A.P.A., The American Psychological Association, {link} their research and study concluded that young females and boys, are growing up between the ages of seven to eleven years of age, and viewing themselves as sex objects. Not that people are looking at them as sex objects, but they are viewing themselves as sex objects and that (to them) is the only worth they have. The study goes on to say that these kids are experiencing an increase in depression, low self-esteem, low self-worth, academic failures in school, low confidence, and even increased likelihood of sexual activity at an extremely young age.

You as a parent need to be protecting your child’s innocence, take that darn T.V. out of their room. Take it out. Because you’re just exposing your young children to garbage like Honey Boo-Boo, Toddlers and Tiara’s, Fifteen and Pregnant, and all this other crap. I feel that parents and young teens are having children, not so they can raise them to be a good, functioning citizen, but they’re raising that child so it can be their own personal little Barbie. That they play around with, that they dress up, take to hair salons and all this other crap. They don’t have children to love and care for them, no they have that child so they can have their own real life Barbie. It’s sickening! It pisses me off so, so much. Do not buy inappropriate clothes for your children, so they look sexy, skanky, slutty. Your young child doesn’t deserve to grow up thinking that he or she has to appeal to people with his or her body. That is all I really have to say. Parents, wake up!!