The Sexualization of Early Childhood

Before my studies this week I had given little thought about the sexualization of early childhood. Through my experiences with primary-grade children I have lamented with colleagues on how children in first and second grade talk about having “boyfriends” and “girlfriends” and how difficult spring is because that seems to be when the sixth graders start trying to hold hands on the playground. But I had given very little thought the sexualization of childhood starting not at the primary grade school, but earlier- from toddlers and preschoolers!

Upon reflection, I find it alarmingly easy to think of examples in my personal and professional experiences that illustrate the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment. Television shows such as “Toddlers in Tiaras” (on TLC) show young children dressed in miniature adult-style clothing with gobs of make-up on, gyrating to inappropriate music. When I go to the lake in the summer I see young girls with two-piece “bikini” swimsuits. At school, kindergarteners tease one another about having “girlfriends” and “boyfriends”. Girls wear knee-high, high-heel boots and if boys cry they are “wimps”. There are dress codes for kindergarten graduation day and various assemblies at my school to keep young children from wearing inappropriately-cut dresses.

Such a highly sexualized childhood has harsh negative impacts on children’s healthy development, no matter how small the exposure is. Children are like sponges, soaking in all they observe in their environment. Levin (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009) argues that the “violence and sexualization that saturate marketing and media… limit opportunities for children to develop as whole people and undermine the very foundation necessary for children to actualize their full potential and to value and respect themselves and others” (p. 6). When children are exposed to these messages, the foundation for understanding and being able to form healthy relationships when they are older is skewed. Girls see themselves as objects, and hinge their self-worth on how attractive they are, using the media to compare themselves to the idea of the “ideal” beauty. Boys learn that girls are objects, and view them through the same media lens. Ways to mitigate these negative effects include parent education, the fostering of healthy perspectives of gender, and role modeling of appropriate relationships. Sometimes families underestimate how much children learn through their environment, or they have looser restrictions for younger siblings as they allow older siblings to watch television or listen to music with more mature messages. An early childhood professional could work with families to create home environments that do not expose or that limit children’s exposure to inappropriate media/experiences. The early childhood programs can offer activities that allow children to explore gender in appropriate, supportive ways, as well as model what healthy, respectful interactions look like (i.e. combating gender stereotypes such as girls relying on attractiveness to make friends/gain attention).

Studying the topic this week has definitely modified my awareness of the sexualization of early childhood. I had never thought to consider how young children were so heavily influenced by this, and have always thought I have seen the negative results only in older children. Upon reflection, I realize that what I witness in older children is the consequences of such exposure at a younger age. Currently, most efforts to curb sexualization is focused on adolescent girls, despite the foundation being started in the early childhood years, and that boys are equally affected (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). To make a noticeable impact on young children’s development, we must start earlier than adolescence, and focus on both genders to truly make a difference.

References:

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