The sexual objectification of little girls [View all]

[Sarah Ibarruri]

This is from the American Psychological Association. It is about the sexualization and objectification of girls (and women), and the damaging effects it has upon girls, teens, women, and even on men. It’s excellent. The link is at the end.

Here’s a rough summary of what it’s about:

1) Women are too often portrayed in a sexual manner in the media and society

2) Exposure to the sexual objectification of women in the media affects how GIRLS conceptualize femininity and sexuality

3) A narrow, unrealistic standard of physical beauty is emphasized

4) GIRLS are portrayed in a sexualized manner (for example, with captions such as ‘naughty and nice,’ wearing feather boas, adult women being presented as if they were little girls, etc).

5) Parents (perhaps unwittingly) convey to GIRLS the message that maintaining an attractive appearance is the most important goal

6) GIRLS then themselves encourage one another to meet unrealistic goals of beauty and thinness

7) Products and clothes for girls are designed to sexualize them like sexy celebrities

8) GIRLS learn to treat themselves as objects to be looked at and evaluated for their looks (self-objectification)

9) Studies show that self-objectification impairs mental activities of computation and logical reasoning

10) GIRLS experience anxiety about their appearance

11) GIRLS experience mental problems as a result of objectification and self-objectification, such as eating disorders and low self-esteem

12) Studies have shown a direct relationship between the narrow representations of female beauty (example, a thin ideal) and eating disorders

13) Sexual objectification and self-objectification have been linked to diminished sexual health and sexual assertiveness in teens and adult women

14) Exposure to narrow ideals of female sexual attractiveness can affect men and make it difficult for men to find an ‘adequate’ partner

15) Sexual objectification of women causes sexism, as it forces women to conform to younger and younger standards of an idealized girlified female sexual ‘beauty’

16) The portrayal of women as sexual objects is directly related to fewer GIRLS pursuing careers in math, science, engineering, etc.

http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx