Statement by Taneika Taylor, Director of GenderPAC's Children As They Are parenting support network on the new American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls' report.
February 22, 2007 (Press Release) --
Contact: Taneika Taylor, 202-462-6610 (office), 202-716-2015 (cell), taneika.taylor@gpac.org
Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC), www.gpac.org
6 Year Old 'Hot Girls' - Have Children Gone Wild?
WASHINGTON (February 22, 2007) – A new survey reports that children are increasingly sexualized in the media; 85% of time they are girls.
Hyper-sexualized images of girls as young as 5 and 6 -- made up like adults and showing a lot of "skin" -- are increasingly appearing in clothing catalogues, advertisements, and television.
And there are signs that young girls are feeling the stress of living up to media portrayals and adult ideals of female sexuality: rates of anorexia, low self-esteem, and depression are climbing among young girls.
"Children need affirmative messages to be themselves, not pressure to become cookie-cutter 'hot girls' at age six," said Taneika Taylor, Director of GenderPAC's Children As They Are parenting support network. "This report is a wake-up call to parents who have been distressed by images of scantily-clad girls preoccupied with appearance and using sex to vie for young boys' attention."
Authors of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls' report assert that this hyper-sexualization of girls is accelerating mental health problems in young girls, with girls as young as 5 complaining of stress, eating disorders and depression.
Verbal harassment and social exclusion are other fall-out effects of this as well, said Taylor. A forthcoming University of Illinois - Chicago study found that nearly one half (47%) of students had witnessed girls being verbally taunted for not being "feminine enough" and more than one-third (34%) had seen girls who weren't "feminine enough" excluded from groups.
The APA report also points to effects on adults: some teachers believed that girls of color were hypersexual and thus unlikely to excel academically, while other findings showed that some parents felt that physical appearance was their young daughters' most important attribute.
"Young girls need to be encouraged by parents and educators to achieve and explore, not to mimic Britney Spears or Beyonce Knowles. It's called 'childhood' because it's a time to be a child," said Taylor.
Children As They Are supports parents and educators in creating environments that are safe for all children to express themselves authentically and explore all of their interests, talents, and feelings -- whether or not they're considered "right" for boys or girls. For more information, visit www.gpac.org/cata.
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) works to ensure that classrooms, communities, and workplaces are safe for every person whether or not they fit stereotypes for masculinity or femininity. For more information, visit www.gpac.org.
###
Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC), www.gpac.org
6 Year Old 'Hot Girls' - Have Children Gone Wild?
WASHINGTON (February 22, 2007) – A new survey reports that children are increasingly sexualized in the media; 85% of time they are girls.
Hyper-sexualized images of girls as young as 5 and 6 -- made up like adults and showing a lot of "skin" -- are increasingly appearing in clothing catalogues, advertisements, and television.
And there are signs that young girls are feeling the stress of living up to media portrayals and adult ideals of female sexuality: rates of anorexia, low self-esteem, and depression are climbing among young girls.
"Children need affirmative messages to be themselves, not pressure to become cookie-cutter 'hot girls' at age six," said Taneika Taylor, Director of GenderPAC's Children As They Are parenting support network. "This report is a wake-up call to parents who have been distressed by images of scantily-clad girls preoccupied with appearance and using sex to vie for young boys' attention."
Authors of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls' report assert that this hyper-sexualization of girls is accelerating mental health problems in young girls, with girls as young as 5 complaining of stress, eating disorders and depression.
Verbal harassment and social exclusion are other fall-out effects of this as well, said Taylor. A forthcoming University of Illinois - Chicago study found that nearly one half (47%) of students had witnessed girls being verbally taunted for not being "feminine enough" and more than one-third (34%) had seen girls who weren't "feminine enough" excluded from groups.
The APA report also points to effects on adults: some teachers believed that girls of color were hypersexual and thus unlikely to excel academically, while other findings showed that some parents felt that physical appearance was their young daughters' most important attribute.
"Young girls need to be encouraged by parents and educators to achieve and explore, not to mimic Britney Spears or Beyonce Knowles. It's called 'childhood' because it's a time to be a child," said Taylor.
Children As They Are supports parents and educators in creating environments that are safe for all children to express themselves authentically and explore all of their interests, talents, and feelings -- whether or not they're considered "right" for boys or girls. For more information, visit www.gpac.org/cata.
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) works to ensure that classrooms, communities, and workplaces are safe for every person whether or not they fit stereotypes for masculinity or femininity. For more information, visit www.gpac.org.
###
Email
Print
SPAM
