This weeks topic is something that, for lack of a better phrase, really lights a fire under my behind. It is something that strikes a nerve with me and makes me want to run out into the streets to try to change it right this second. It is the topic of the sexualization of young children.
Next time you are taking a stroll through the mall, take a few minutes and just people watch. See how many "couples" walk by holding hands and try to guess their age. Are they 13? 14? See if you notice any little girls, I'm talking 8 and 9 year olds, wearing pants that have saying on the back such as "juicy" written across the butt, thus drawing attention. Walk into Victoria's Secret and look for the thongs designed for tweens, ages 12-18, because they are there. Things like this are not only showcasing sex, but promoting it!
Children living in a highly sexualized environment is more than just inappropriate, it is detrimental to healthy development. Levin and Kilbourne (2009) sum it up nicely when they write that [children] living in these highly sexualized environments "...can seriously harm their ability to grow up to have healthy attitudes about themselves and their bodies and to have caring relationships in which sex is an important part" (p.4).
While this is a topic that I am very passionate about, it is something that a lot of people pay no attention to. Recently, when walking through the children's clothing section of my local Kohl's, a friend pointed out how cute a pair of jogging pants were. They were hot pink with the word "cute" written across the butt. I mentioned that I thought it was inappropriate and she responded that it was only inappropriate because people like me point things like that out, and that we should let kids be innocent. While I do agree that children should be innocent, I still believe that it is our job to always protect them. Flashing words across their rear ends draw attention to them, and whether we want to talk about it or not, there are pedophiles everywhere. In fact, "as many as 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually abused at some point during their childhood" (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). This is a staggering statistic that I think is very important for parents everywhere to realize.
Reference
Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Cassie I really do agree with you that while children should be innocent, it is our job to always protect them. In my view, I think that the only way we can save and protect them from these negative and harmful sexual messages is by being observant and making corrections immediately we notice one in our classrooms. However I think that parents needs to join us in this fight, because most of these exposures come from the home. Thanks for sharing.
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