Should Children Participate in Beauty Pageants?

For over 75years beauty contests and pageants have been a popular activity in the United

States. These contests are so popular that they have been made into major productions and are

televised on an annual basis. Millions of viewers watch as women representing their respective

state compete for a title and monetary reward. Emulating these national contests an industry was

born in which children as young as 6 months old participate. Annually 3 million children

compete in these pageants with the majority of these children girls (Shultz and Murphy).

This participation by children have had unintended consequences. Overzealous parents, intense

competition and time intensive pageants, have resulted in children suffering emotional,

psychological and in some cases physical harm. Regulatory oversight and guidelines need to be

established to protect children that are not in a position to advocate for themselves.

Beauty pageants are by nature contests. Contests create a level of stress for those who

participate in them. When children are the competitors, those children are exposed to the stress

of not only the competition but often the unrealistic expectations of their parents. Those in

favor of childrens beauty pageants suggest that exposing children to competition is beneficial.

Advocates for this activity believe these contests provides an opportunity to develop

coping skills. This being said, William Cromie asks in his Harvard Gazette article “The Whys

and Woes of Beauty Pageants” “Does exposing a two year old little girl to the rigors and stress of

intense competition cross the line”(Cromie)? Over exposure can create a level of stress that can

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...arance, putting them at risk for eating

disorders or making them seek out plastic surgery ( Triggs, West and Aradillas ).

New York - based clinical licensed social worker Mark Sichel calls the extreme grooming

common at pageants “a form of child abuse”(qtd. in Triggs,West and Aradillas ). Sichal states

that, “Playing dress-up "is normal and healthy, but when it's demanded, it leaves the child not

knowing what they want," he says. Accentuating their appearance with such accoutrements as

fake hair, teeth, spray tans and breast padding "causes the children tremendous confusion,

wondering why they are not okay without those things”( qtd. in Triggs,West and Aradillas).

Pageants create a situation where the hyper-secularization of young girls occurs.