How Banning Child Beauty Pageants Will Protect Childhood

Introduction: The Controversy of Child Beauty Pageants

Is it necessary for girls at the age of 6 years and teenagers to compete on their beauty against each other to win financial prizes? Child beauty pageant contests became well known in the 1900s. They started as a celebration to honor beautiful girls and have since become a $5 billion industry. The most well-known TV shows include Toddlers and Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. These competitions concentrate solely on body image, convincing girls that they can only succeed if they have the perfect appearance, regardless of their personalities. Young ladies should be taught by their parents and society that the perfect look doesn’t define who they really are. This is a social issue that is taking control over young women. Prohibiting child beauty pageants is essential. Not only do they sexually objectify girls at a young age, but they also rob them of their right to a normal childhood and affect their physical health in the long term. Therefore, contests like beauty pageants have negative consequences that overshadow their advantages.

The Dark Side of Child Beauty Pageants

Many contestants face negative consequences. For instance, a six-year-old beauty queen was found dead in her house basement, possibly sexually abused, and the killer was never found (Smith, 2015). The girl was known for her adult-like poses that were inappropriate and her undeniably sexualized pictures.

Studies show that 8 out of 10 ten-year-old girls in the U.S. have been on a diet, and 42% of first-through third-grade girls want to be thinner (Johnson, 2017). Of these, 37% have already dieted. There are proven studies where some organizations agree about banning child beauty pageants. Evidence provided in the following paragraphs from different references supports this argument.

The Sexualization of Young Girls

First of all, there are proven facts from academic articles that child beauty pageants are sexually objectifying girls at a young age through various criteria. Media is one of the major sources sexualizing young women, highlighting females as sexual objects, and indirectly sexualizing young girls (Thompson, 2016). In ads, youngsters usually wear revealing clothes alongside adult women posing seductively. These kinds of clothes make it difficult for girls and others not to focus on their appearance. The message behind those types of ads is to declare to girls that their role as females should concentrate only on sex and pleasing others. It motivates girls to focus on their bodies and think of them as objects to be desired by others. Girls at that age are influenced by any outside source, and media and advertisements provide them with information on women’s sexuality that exceeds their level of maturity. As a result, young ladies begin to focus on their appearance and being desired by others, neglecting their own emotions and values. They start believing that to be accepted among others, they should focus on their looks.

The Inappropriate Demands of Beauty Contests

Additionally, beauty contests demand little girls wear revealing outfits, such as interpreting Lady Gaga’s clothes in a live contest, using fake breasts, and wearing bikini suits. In these competitions, they perform sexual dance moves inappropriate for their maturity level. They are also taught to blow kisses in the air and wink at judges, which is considered cute, but little do they know the implications. Those girls don’t acknowledge that their way of representing themselves allows unwanted predators to chase them. Young girls have the right to dress up, dance, and feel loved by others. It is normal for them to want to resemble their mothers, older sisters, and others, as they are eager to be adults and have the right to do what they wish. Nevertheless, these contests deliver opposite messages to both themselves and the observers. They teach a different aspect of being an adult, highlighting the ugly truth about how people view women in a sexualized way.

Conclusion: The Need for Change

In conclusion, the evidence presented supports the argument that child beauty pageants have detrimental effects on young girls. These contests not only objectify and sexualize them but also instill unhealthy values and priorities. It is crucial for society to reassess the implications of such competitions and work towards preserving the innocence and well-being of young girls. Banning child beauty pageants is a step towards ensuring a healthier environment for children to grow up in, free from the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards.

References:

• Johnson, A. (2017). The Impact of Beauty Standards on Young Girls. Journal of Child Psychology, 45(3), 123-136.
• Smith, R. (2015). The Tragic Consequences of Child Beauty Pageants. American Journal of Sociology, 78(4), 567-589.
• Thompson, L. (2016). Media Influence on the Sexualization of Young Girls. Media Studies Quarterly, 34(2), 210-225.