Child Beauty Pageants Research Paper

Kids are putting their looks above far more important things. A poll of 3,000 teenage girls done in 2009 showed that more than a quarter would spend their money on looks rather than education. One in five had considered plastic surgery. An Ofsted study of 150,000 children from ages 10-15 says that 32% of the kids worried about their bodies. Another survey, from BBC, showed that “half the girls of ages 8-12 want to look like women they see in the media. Six out of ten thought being thinner would make them happier.” These beauty standards have always been implemented on young women but the age for beauty standards seems to be lowering. Children in pageants are given guidelines and rules on how to dress and judged on what they look like. This is exactly what society does to grown women, only child beauty pageants are seen as entertainment. The sexualization of young children can teach young girls that their worth is determined by their status as sex objects. Children who are sexualized at younger ages tend to have higher rates self-esteem issues and a distorted view on their own …show more content…
Children are simply too young to understand what they are getting into. Many times, children under five are entered into pageants. These are purely out of the parents’ will, since the child is probably too young to understand pageants. Many adults just want the social status and money that their children can get them. This is exploitation in the worst form and is considered child abuse by many psychiatrists and psychologists. While it is true that little girls or boys might be enamored with the idea of fame and attention, they don’t know better. They are not aware of everything that comes with fame. Celebrities such as Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan are perfect examples of what impact the stress of fame can have on the developing brain of a young