This week's Panorama (BBC documentary show) is on this topic:
Panorama - Too Much Too Young Mon 10 Jan 2011 20:30 BBC One
Provocative clothing, raunchy dancing on prime-time TV, access to pornography - Panorama examines the growing concern about the sexualisation of children in the UK. Sophie Raworth, a mother of three, goes behind the headlines to discover what images young people are being exposed to, and asks what impact the sexualised world is having on our children. Is too much, too young, putting them at risk?
What do people think - is there too much of this? Is it a problem?
What do people think - is there too much of this? Is it a problem?
How can you explain it to people who don't see anything wrong in fornication? After all, a girl who is menstruating is ready for s.ex and bear children? don't you think?
One can say that there are many mothers out there who are responsible for their childrens curiosity.
Dressing children like mini-adults? Mom and little one dressing the same? Mom telling daughter "you are too old for that now" - taking away dolls. Too many little girls go from being a baby to a mini adult and there is a big gap in the growth process. I see it here in Dubai where mothers put clothes on 10 year olds that 18 year olds are wearing. Short tops, low cut pants, taking them for mother/daughter outings for a mani/pedicure. These kids look like se.xual objects, especially to predators. So much "like mother, like daughter" - the difference is mother should know better!!!
Women should stop being a "friend" and be a mother first during their childs formative and teen years. Mother can slowly move into friendship when their children are grown and responsible individuals. Rather than teach children about making the right choices, they teach them about using protection and "good judgement". What do these kids know about "good judgment"? A child uses "bad judgment" and then mother wants to know "what have I told you?" When that time comes, more than likely the child will ask the mother "where were you when I needed a mother, not a friend?"
I recall a few years back I was in a mall in Kansas in the USA and wanted to buy a dress for my 6 year old daughter (at the time). It was summer - but still, in all the stores I went, I couldn't find anything that WASN'T a boob-tube, mini-skirt or a very skimpy top. Seriously, my colleagues and I just went to pretty much every kids store in the big mall. Nada.
(And it wasn't like I was being a prude - my kids do wear sleeveless dresses and pinafores - but these weren't innocent little summer dresses.)
I haven't had that issue elsewhere - we can usually find some 'normal' clothing for girls, but increasingly you have to search more and more for them.
Dressing children like mini-adults? Mom and little one dressing the same? Too many little girls go from being a baby to a mini adult and there is a big gap in the growth process. I see it here in Dubai where mothers put clothes on 10 year olds that 18 year olds are wearing. Short tops, low cut pants, taking them for mother/daughter outings for a mani/pedicure. These kids look like se.xual objects, especially to predators.
How can you blame those mums when they are consumed in perpetual consumption to be beauty contestants.. Those little ones just have to grow into their mums..Don't you think that those kids are the younger version of almost bikinied beauty queens, ready to be contestants as they grow up.. dubai-politics-talk/belgium-first-european-country-ban-burka-t41686-135.html
Women should stop being a "friend" and be a mother first during their childs formative and teen years. A child uses "bad judgment" and then mother wants to know "what have I told you?" When that time comes, more than likely the child will ask the mother "where were you when I needed a mother, not a friend?"
Who is gonna tell them that what they are doing is only serving the interests of chauvinist founders of capitalism? I always thought that both men and women had guidance from their creator.i.e religion.. But who is gonna care about it? Perhaps only those mums and dads who sincerely wish to be true role models! Until that happens mums are just gonna be friends but not actual MUMs unfortunately...
Philippines is very Catholic country, but my eyes have bugged out at some of the outfits my helper has bought her daughter. She even says her 6 year old daughter likes to look se.xy. I asked her, "Where has she learned that looking se.xy at 6 is a good thing?" She didn't know what to answer. The funny thing is, my helper dresses nice, but not s.exy, so I can't figure out why she would want to dress her daughter like a s.exy Barbie.
This is a pandemic, whats even worse, the damage is already being done , and only now people are beginning to realize it, its going to take a loooooooongggg time before things can be reversed.
Its just sickening, little girls are exposed to singers that basically tell them "BE A WH0RE" that is cool !
As much as young girls shouldnt be taught to be sexual objects, young boys should be taught not to see the counter part as such (and wondering whether the start of menstruation is a normative sign of being able to start intercourse). The problem imo has more to do with boys attitude than the girls.
True !, Boys should also be taught to respect women from an early age. The over stimulation of the sexual desire for both boys and girls is stimulated by their surroundings, so the fault per se lies in both the sexes
In females the sign that puberty has begun is menstruation, all that means is that they will be able to conceive, the onset of puberty in females occurs in the age range from 10-13, but this is not conclusive either, so the only indicator is menstruation and development of secondary $exual charactersitics - [Enlargement of the mammary glands & increased fat deposition in the gluteus maximus muscles, emotional instability and an increased interest in the opposite gender]
I guess I'm stating the obvious when I say I believe that ideally people should wait until they are ready to commit to a lifetime with their partner... (spoken as a father, of course).
But yes, Zubber - there should be equal emphasis on boys to respect women.
Whilst this is a comedy routine (and I've linked to it before) - Dave has a relevant point, I think:
I heard its a big thing in the US down south. Seen some of the child contestants on these kid "beauty pagents" absolutely horrendous ! Makes you wonder what kind of parents these people are and what they are setting up their children for when they grow up.
Just like most child stars end up with messed up adult lives. Brrrr shudder just to think about it. Poor kids.
zubber wrote:Shaf , this is an issue I am also very worried about, kids these days need to be put under a microscope at all times
You mean like Helicopter parents ? Now thats the total other extreme end of the spectrum.
I'm with you DDS- I think this is not only impractical, but ultimately counter-productive.
I've seen many families where the kids are sheltered from the real world so much, that when they get an inch of 'freedom' they go wild.
It is a hard balancing act though - the world is what it is, and kids will play with Barbies and have Ken, and watch fairy tales about princesses being swept off their feet. That is natural and (largely) innocent. When pre-teens have magazines which give french kissing tips or how to pull off 'whore fashion' - that's crossed the line. But realistically, kids will be exposed to it.
I was shocked to learn that young teenage highschool girls here are into making DIY p<3n on their mobile phones and circulating it. (Older highschool girls I'd be less shocked).
Education is the key - that and personal conduct and family example. Older girls mentor the younger ones and show that they can lead fashion rather than follow it. Above there is the respect element too - getting girls and young ladies to realise that they are more than their looks and bodies.
It is a hard act to pull it off - I was reading that in the States there are girls and boys who sign virginity pledges - but a highish proportion of them can't keep it and succumb. At least they recognised the issue and were doing something about it.
As parents - we try our best to educate, lead by example etc.
shafique wrote:I was reading that in the States there are girls and boys who sign virginity pledges - but a highish proportion of them can't keep it and succumb. At least they recognised the issue and were doing something about it.
There was an actual survey in the US that was conducted with chilling findings- Titled "Middle-School Sex Survey Targets Kids as Young as 11"
. . 46 percent of teens between the ages of 15 to 19 admit to having had sexual intercourse . . the majority of sexually active teens have their first experience at age 17. . . Study outcomes show that sexually active 12-year olds are engaging in various kinds of sex with multiple partners and without barrier protection.
Berrin wrote:Could it be that she is competing her daughter with yours or s.exy children alike to her advantage?
Every little bit helps.. a drop of ink in a glassful of water is not enough to turn its colour to ink, but is a good start...
I don't understand what you mean. And I don't have any girls (yet)
-- Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:10 pm --
And I totally agree about boys needing to be raised properly to see women as fellow humans and realize that they are someone's sister, mother, grandmother etc.
zubber wrote:There was an actual survey in the US that was conducted with chilling findings- Titled "Middle-School love Survey Targets Kids as Young as 11"
. . 46 percent of teens between the ages of 15 to 19 admit to having had sexual intercourse . . the majority of sexually active teens have their first experience at age 17. . . Study outcomes show that sexually active 12-year olds are engaging in various kinds of love with multiple partners and without barrier protection.
As much as young girls shouldnt be taught to be sexual objects, young boys should be taught not to see the counter part as such.. The problem imo has more to do with boys attitude than the girls.
True, but whose gonna teach them this? Especially if you are living in a society where most parents practise fornication while and before marriage? You know you still got to tell us why you see no wrong in fornication? dubai-politics-talk/ahmadiyya-live-fear-holland-t44535-15.html
Also No women would be seen as sexual objects provided that they dress for modesty.... It’s up to women to choose how they put themselves accross, If they want physical respect out in public than they should differ their dress codes from i.e a wh.re
If women then still get raped and sexually abused, only then I would blame and call those abusing men to be of mentally disturbed ones, that needs therapy i.e hormone therapy etc.. Plus,If women were not to be seen as sexual objects from creation, I think we would all be genderless and there would be no need for women to attract males for mating and start reproduction etc..
(and wondering whether the start of menstruation is a normative sign of being able to start intercourse).
Well I was being a little sarcastic there..But there is some truth in it tho.. In the old days when science and industry wasn’t as much developed people used to die at very early ages i.e 40, due to spread of contagious diseases and due to no cure to deadly diseases like cancer..so life span was very short compared to todays living standards.. Therefore people used to marry at very early ages, as young as 14 and 15, so that they had enough time to raise children, another reason is that they had to multiply in greater numbers to take care of elderly/children and provide enough workforce for the family to work out in farms and farming fields etc..(Without the help of machinery, physical work is very hard especially if you don’t make much to employ others)
-- Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:49 pm --
There is something definetly wrong with a society that thinks intercourse for a 10-13y old girl is ok.
I agree.. like the men of the western world who travel thousands of miles to the east for intercouse with 10-13 years of girls and sometimes with boys (hence s.ex tourism)..
The funny thing is, my helper dresses nice, but not s.exy, so I can't figure out why she would want to dress her daughter like a s.exy Barbie.
