Over the years, beauty pageants have proven to be detrimental to the physical and mental health of their participants. From crushing a child’s self-esteem after losing a pageant, to poor diets and lack or rest. And the hidden physical dangers of sexulization of a child to put on a show for potential sex- offenders lurking in the audience.
Child beauty pageants can be very damaging to a young girl from a psychological perspective. If the child does not win the contest, they are forced to believe they have faults, which do not make them perfect. Instead of teaching girls to appreciate their fault for making them unique from everyone else. Beauty pageants promote an atmosphere that it is wrong to not be perfect. Most grade school girls are not concerned with self-image, until someone, points out their ears may be too big or they suffer some other imperfection. A four year old should not be told she is not as attractive as another girl. Kids that age should be taught that every individual is unique and exceptional in his or her own style. Not that there is a perfect mode that we must survive to fit.
The first years of life are hard for most to remember. I completely agree with author Jane Graham, who wrote an article explaining her experience with beauty pageants. Mrs. Graham stated that during her first pageant, she did not place in the pageant. She realized at the age of four that she was not the typical beautiful little girl the judges were looking for. Instead of playing with Baby Dolls and Barbie and her only concern being if her favorite cartoon would be on that day. Mrs. Graham focused on having imperfections. The first years of life are hard for most to remember, but no child should have one of their very first memories being...
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...nd record, these young girls prancing around on stage in provocative outfits and preforming provocative routines for the judges. Dr. Nancy Irwin, a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist is quoted in an article explaining the dangers of pageants for the girls “Men can pose as agents/managers and track you/your girl down through the show”.
Not many parents are even going to question the person seeking to represent their daughter, and this is where the danger begins. Many parents just assume that everyone around them interested in promoting their child’s beauty pageant career is someone they can trust. Countless girls are being left unattended with coaches, agents, and make-up artists and most of these people will never undergo a background check until it is too late. Child face this danger in sports also but in sports, they are not one on one with the potential predator.
“A small study published in Eating Disorders the journal of treatment and prevention, that involved 22 women” (Hollandsworth). Girls are choosing unhealthy ways to stay fit and what they call the perfect size just to have a big appeal to the audience when at pageants. The encouragement of this behavior can lead to many body complications and disorders for these girls as they develop, only because they are not truly developing as an average young lady. “A 2007 report issued by the American Psychological Association Task force on the Sexualization of girls claims that parents who put their daughters in beauty pageants can contribute in very direct concrete ways to the precocious sexualization of the daughters” ( Hollandsworth). There has been research to prove that the actions of the young ladies is not all on their own, they have assistance with getting prepared for competitions and what to perform in competitions. Parents add more than what is necessary and can have a negative impact and not even know they are making matters worst than what they have to be. “Kiddie pageants are flourishing. Fueled by a reality TV show, an estimated 250,000 American girls participate in more than 5,000 beauty pageants every year” (Hollandsworth). Exploitation of these young girls is the “NEW BIG THING” to see and enjoy. Adults would rather watch little girls flaunt themselves
Children of any age are very impressionable and research has been to conclude that the “social acts of a person in later life are a direct correlation of the social network they grew up in,” (Cairns, 2010) Child beauty pageants damage the child’s health, for it can cause cognitive, physical, and psychological problems to the child (American Psychological Association, 2010). According to American Psychological Association, young girls are becoming sexualized in the media and have found that women who have participated in beauty pageants as a child were 39% more likely to suffer from an mental disorder; 28% are currently living with an eating disorder (APA, 2010). William Pinsof, a clinical psychologist and president of the Family Institute at Northwestern University states, “Being a little Barbie doll says your body has to be a certain way and your hair has to be a certain way. In girls particularly, this can unleash a whole complex of destructive self-experiences that can lead to eating disorders and all kind...
One professional psychologist and registered dietician has warned that competing in the beauty pageants may lead young girls to feel that the approval and love of their parents is based solely on their looks and whether they win a crown at the pageant or not. Losing in a pageant category may generate lower feelings of self-worth in young children who do not know how to properly cope with loss at such a young age. Additionally, there are countless examples of women who as children participated in beauty pageants and began stressing at a young age while attempting to maintain an impossible ideal of perfection. Many of the young girls who cannot keep up a perfect look will begin to feel body shame, depression and may even develop an eating disorder. In fact, one study was done on approximately 130 females who had participated in beauty pageants.
Beauty pageants have caused an increase in mental and physical issues in young girls who participate. Participation and competition for a beauty prize where infants and girls are objectified and judged against sexualized ideals can have significant mental health and developmental consequences that impact detrimentally on identity, self-esteem, and body perception ("We must protect our kids from the catwalk of shame."). If young girls don't win, they might take it personally and get hurt feelings. The child might end up feeling unattractive or inadequate ("Child Beauty Pageants Pros and Cons.") which can lead to the development of disorders such as bulimia or anorexia. ("How Do Child Beauty Pageants Affect a Child's Development?") These are both eating disorders girls develop to lose weight excessively. Furthermore, the average BMI of a beauty pageant contestant as of 2010 is 18.3 (Beauty Pageant Statistics), which is classified as underweight...
Many children and adults often compete in beauty pageants regularly. Beauty contests physically harm the individuals who compete in them, “Self-esteem is damaged as they lose touch with what it means to be naturally beautiful” (Bahl 3). Young girls and women should not always have to think that they need to be dressed up or have tons of make up on. Individuals need to know that everyone is beautiful and competing in pageants lead them to think otherwise.
"The Health Risks of Child Beauty Pageants." Aol.on. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .
Lights, camera, pouty lips welcome to the four dimensional world of children 's beauty pageants. Over the years, child pageants have become a hot topic gaining a great deal of delight from numerous people around the world. From having a strong standing, ongoing fan base that keeps the hit TLC TV show Toddlers and Tiaras; on air to having some of Americans ' favorite beauty queens making guest appearances on shows such as the Ellen Show. Regretfully, the idea of putting an end to child pageants has become somewhat of a hotter topic than the pageants themselves. People often put down what they do not understand why dress a child like that? Why all the make-up? What some do not seem to understand is that there are advantages to being a beauty
" In the end, children’s beauty pageants are essentially harmful to both young girls safety and minds. It may not happen to some, but most of the young girls that compete in beauty pageants seem to have a bit of an attitude towards their parents and other people who will not cooperate with them.... ... middle of paper ... ...
This essay will talk about high glitz pageants as they are the most common, most publicized, and most controversial. An alternative to glitz pageants does exist in the form of natural pageants which encourage minimal makeup and off the tag clothes however natural pageants are not common (Elman). When looking at the problems child beauty pageants cause, the greatest victims are the young contestants. A study comparing women that had participated in child beauty pageants to women who had not found no significant increase in bulimia, however it showed much greater rates of body dissatisfaction, impulse control, and interpersonal distrust (Wonderlich).
Restricting the age requirements on beauty pageants will take the pressure off children that do not want to participate in pageants and were forced to take part. Nicole Hunter wrote an article about the issues she went through competing in beauty pageants at a young age. Since she was four, she had been competing in high glitz beauty pageants all over the world unwillingly. She explains how it was not her dream but her mothers. She felt as though she did not have the option to say no. In a blog that she wrote about her experiences, she shares how to this day she still struggles with a low self-esteem, especially when she does not wear makeup. For many years now, she has been fighting anorexia nervous, and just now as an a...
Beauty pageants demand that competitors spend large amounts of money in synthetic enhancement. This is a poor focus for vulnerable girls and destroys the girls at a very young age. Beauty pageants convince girls that outer beauty is more important than inner beauty, which is totally a false claim. In this paper, we are going to talk about the pros and cons, whys and woes of pageants and if they are manipulative or valuable to kids. Even though that beauty pageants are a good way for girls to make friends. Beauty pageants are harmful to young children and they should not be able to compete until adulthood because beauty pageants teach kids that outer beauty is more important than inner beauty and beauty pageants pose a threat to the safety of children.
The judges at pageants expect the contestants to be skinny, beautiful with a lot of make-up, and to be wearing something “sexy.” This causes the girls to grow up and think they have to be super skinny, wear make up, and wear “sexy” looking clothes in order to look pretty. If the contestants are not thin, physically beautiful, or even perfect, then the judges will pick someone who is, in their eyes, beautiful. Beauty pageants, like Miss India and Miss World, definitely promote that type of unrealistic expectation of beauty. Promoting an unrealistic expectation of beauty can cause anxiety among many (“Body Image Issues). This is wrong because people are able to look naturally beautiful, without being skinny and wearing all that make up. Placing young girls into beauty pageants sets an unrealistic body image in their heads.
Statistics show that 6% of girls in beauty pageants record having suffered from long-term depression, 9 out of 10 girls in pageants ages 14-16 admitted to feeling suicidal tendencies or depression, and it is largely caused by the desire to be thin. (Facts/Statistics-Child Beauty Pageants) The question is, is this a proper place for young girls where they are encouraged to act and look as mature as adults? “These pageants force kids to grow up too quickly. The pint-size stars pile on fake hair, heavy makeup, and even false teeth before taking the stage. Many kids wear revealing clothing that critics say aren’t age appropriate.” (Anastasia, Laura) Pageant participants range from ages six months to sixteen years, depending on what competition section they are a part of, and participate in categories of swimsuits, talent, evening wear, and themed costumes. Most girls at these young ages wear overalls and pigtails rather than slinky ensembles and fake hair that overwhelms their features. Not many young girls have the opportunity to dress up in fancy clothes and flaunt what they can do, but there are other pains that come with such moments that can be uncomfortable and confusing to these children, yet to look good they are compelled to grin and bear it. “Four-year-old Karley stands in her
Today there are many new extracurricular activities that occupy a lot of young Americans minds. One trending activity is beauty pageants. It is more common in children where the ages may vary between eight months and even older. The trending debate is whether or not beauty contest serve any purpose in society. While many Americans feel as though pageants are helpful to a child’s self esteem, many feel that the effects of the contest have a very harsh effect on child development by devaluing a child. Researchers have found that beauty contests are effective for women to help make platforms for their careers and also create new jobs for women to create like mentoring children.
Pageants have a way of exploiting children by changing their looks and attitudes to make them more adult like and entertaining; dressing children in bikinis or provocative costumes just to be judged by how well they wear it and how pretty they are is demeaning and cruel. Children should not be taught that looks are everything and you get everything you want in life because when they're older it will be harder for them to accept reality. Imitating the fashion and looks of an adult is not how a child should grow up. A parent should want their child to grow up knowing that they are naturally beautiful and their personality and smarts can get them far in life rather than beauty beats brains, correct?