Young Girls Going Wild, But at What Consequences?

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

“Role models” like amateur porn star Paris Hilton and her underwear-challenged cohorts Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are prompting more and more young girls to “go wild,” but with negative consequences.

Mental health experts say more and more youngsters are being influenced by the “sexualization of girls,” a term coined in a report released earlier this year by the American Psychological Association.


The research analyzed the content and effects of virtually every form of media, including television, music videos, music lyrics, magazines, movies, video games and the Internet. It also examined recent advertising campaigns and merchandising of products aimed toward girls.

What they found was a sort of “Girls Gone Wild” effect in which young girls are succumbing to the pressure of sexualization by posting nude pictures of themselves on the Internet, allowing boyfriends to photograph them in the nude and making their own amateur porn videos.


“The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media today are very real and are likely to be a negative influence on girls’ healthy development,” said Eileen L. Zurbriggen, PhD, chairwoman of the APA Task Force and associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, earlier this year in reference to the report.

As a result of an over-sexed society, young girls are reaping the following mental health issues:

Cognitive and Emotional Consequences: Sexualization and objectification undermine a person’s confidence in and comfort with her own body, leading to emotional and self-image problems, such as shame and anxiety.

Mental and Physical Health: Research links sexualization with three of the most common mental health problems diagnosed in girls and women—eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression or depressed mood.

Sexual Development: Research suggests that the sexualization of girls has negative consequences on girls’ ability to develop a healthy sexual self-image.

“As a society, we need to replace all of these sexualized images with ones showing girls in positive settings—ones that show the uniqueness and competence of girls,” said Zurbriggen. “The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents—boys and girls—that lead to healthy sexual development.”

EDITORS NOTE: Thk God my daughter has made it thru that---time to 'step up' Dads and be that firm, guiding hand---YOU ARE NOT their best friend!!

Our little girls are growing up so fast
I am embarrassed with what the young ones are doing with their youth
Didn't this happen to the residents of Rome

..pretty much ALL major civilizations that fell went totally immoral and corrupt!! Also got into 'human body worship!' We're suppose to learn from history---oh, that's right we still havnt learned from Viet Nam....

To make it official, I am close to body worship but not there yet.

It is horrifying to see what these girls are out there doing on a daily basis. I spend my days in a K-8 school. There is not a day that goes by that I am not battling a clothing or sexuality issue. Girls that think nothing of giving random BJ's in the bathroom at recess, or heading over to the high school to chase the older guys. And it starts from a younger and younger age. Why do parents think that it's okay for their 6 year old girls to gyrate and dress like a stripper? I was very lucky with my daughter. She was absolutely gorgeous (she inherited her grandma's Playboy Bunny genes) but very modest. I never had an issue with what she wore or how she conducted herself. Made being a stepmom much easier.

...the 'old saying' of eating a mile of.......(to be determined by the reader!), knowing that 'we' all are stinking, smelly, aging, sickly human beings with the Biblical 'body of humiliation,' which dies & rots!!! 'Body worship' wont take one too far in this life...ha ha Just for Junior HS'ers! LOL

Down the street last year they had a MIP party...MINORS IN POSSESSION of alcohol.

THIS one girl was so drunk her friends laid her out on the grass while she threw up and passed out.

THEY lauged and thought it was so funny.

I called 911 and the cops and ambulance came and took her away.

THE rest of them were arrested and their parents were called to come and pick them up.

One mother wasn't concerned about her daughter at all..she was more concerned about her not being able to be in cheerleading now...SIGH

__________________

It took me a minute to understand biblical body of humiliation.
Very well said.
Back to hot girls showing off their bodies and why I cant look.(18 years old of course)

..when parents think that is cute/fun...etc! That's why parents need to be 'parents,' not their 'good buddies!!!' Loser parents!!!!

We had a 16 year old die right here in town last fall. He was at the "party" house (two of my junior high girls) and no one noticed he was dead until the next morning.