The Sexualization of Early Childhood

I felt very strongly that the views presented in the articleSo Sexy So Soon:  The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids.  I have taught first grade in my school for over twenty years so I have been able to witness shifts in parenting and behavior firsthand.  Children are exposed to sexual images and sexual situations all the time on TV, on the internet, online, other media and in their environments.  What used to be considered inappropriate is now considered normal.  I have students dressing like little adults and making statements that another child is “hot” or another child is their boyfriend or girlfriend.  They shake their buts when they dance and sing songs with adult themes.  I have even seen children draw penises on their papers.  Even children of the best parents can’t keep their child from this type of exposure.  It’s everywhere (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009)!

It’s not just the youngest that are affected.  I have a twelve-year-old son and I see him exposed to images all the time even though I try my best to limit his exposure to media.  He does play the game Fortnight, which I am not crazy about, and the women on this game have large chests, small waists and tight outfits. Even on the kids programming he watches there are adult themes such as kissing, relationships and situations where friends of the opposite sex are in bedrooms hanging out alone.  They have friends that are struggling with their sexuality and children basing their future on a teenage relationship.  All issues to mature.  When you look at girls’ clothes, the skirts, dresses and shorts are all very short.  You have to search for knee length clothes and shirts that don’t have cuts that are adult like cut out shoulders and asymmetrical lines.  Girls no longer look like girls, they dress like little women.  And they are often marketed to appeal to men.  Remember when Brittany Spears was a teenager and her album covers made her look twenty-five?  Dads would have no problem buying her album for their teenage daughters!  

Kids are shown that if they don’t look or act a certain way they aren’t beautiful and feminine or even sexy.  That is taught at an early age.  Boys are taught that if they aren’t muscular and “in charge” they aren’t masculine. No wonder children struggle with their gender identity.  If they don’t feel like they fulfill the expectations on being a male or female they could very easily struggle with who they are at a very early age.  

As an early-childhood anti-bias educator, I would expose children to books, videos and other types of media that show males and females both in stereotypical roles and realistic roles. I would begin discussions that talk about how the males and females are stereotyped as well as let them talk about what stereotypes they see.  I would guide them to see the differences between realistic males and females and the sexualized ones they see in media.  I would also have realistic dolls, posters as well as other artifacts that represent everyday people and not the sexualized ones we see in media today (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Levin, D. E & Kilbourne, J. (2009).  So sexy so soon:  The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp.1-8). New York:  Ballantine Book.  Retrieved from:  http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf