Sexualization And Sexploitation Of Women In The Media

Video clips and images from Fair Use and the public domain.

The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests that the proliferation of sexual images of girls and young women in the media is harming their self-image and development.

An APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls examined research papers covering the effect of all kinds of media content including television, music videos, magazines, video games, the Internet, movies, and music lyrics. They also looked at the way products are sold and advertised to young girls.

The Task Force described sexualization as: "when a person's value comes only from her/his sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is sexually objectified, e.g., made into a thing for another's sexual use."

The report suggests that the volume of sexualized images has increased as more media content exists over a wider range of accessible technologies, leading to increased exposure and pressure on young girls. Attitudes of family members and friends can also increase the pressure.

"We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development," said Dr Eileen Zurbriggen, Chair of the APA Task Force.

"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," she said.

They gave examples of images from advertising. One featured a well known female pop star, Christina Aguilera, advertising a trainer. She was dressed in school uniform, with an unbuttoned shirt and licking a lollipop.

The report suggests that the sexualization of girls impedes the healthy development of a girl or young woman in several different areas. For example by undermining her confidence and making her feel dissatisfied with her body, this can result in negative self-image and lead to feelings of shame and anxiety.

Also, a body of evidence now links sexualization with several of the most common mental health problems in young women and girls: eating disorders, low self -esteem and depression. And there is also the increased chance that it will impact a girl's ability to develop a healthy sexual self-image.

The Task Force suggests that parents have a strong influence in this area. They could wittingly or unwittingly be contributing to the problem, or they could protect their daughters by educating them and supporting them to overcome the effects of the negative images they come across in their everyday lives.

They call on all members of the community - parents, teachers, school staff, health professionals to look out for the impact that sexual images might be having on the young girls and women in their care. Schools should teach media literacy and include sexualization topics in sex education, they say.

Among their specific recommendations the APA Task Force suggests that:

- More research is done that focuses on girls. Most research focuses on women. An example would be to examine the effects of interventions that promote positive images of girls.
- Practitioners such as psychologists and teachers are given resources to help them teach young girls how to access more positive images of themselves and counteract the negative effects that the sexual images might be having.
- Media literacy programs are developed and that public health reports include sexualization in their agenda.
- Federal agencies support programs that help girls feel powerful in ways other than to look sexy, for example Web zines and extra-curricular activities.
- Develop media awards for positive portrayal of girls as powerful, able and non-sexualized, for example for the best toy or television image.
- Convene partnerships between government, leading experts and the media to work on the issue.
- All members of communities from school staff to business people promote extra-curricular programs that help young people develop self-esteem based on ability and character and not on appearance.

"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 Dr Zurbriggen.

"The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents - boys and girls - that lead to healthy sexual development," she added.

Category:

News & Politics

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[backtohali]

great vid, cross-reference what it says with 10/10 of Youtube's"top Ten female pop artists...or actresses...or proffesional athletes...or anything else listing the "top ten" most celebrated/successful/influent­ial females.......Houston, we have a problem...ALL WOMEN ARE SEX OBJECTS, THEY'VE ONLY HAD REAL CIVIL RIGHTS OR 50 YEARS OR SO!!!!! (and they still don't, but most of them seem to be happy with that...the sad sex)

[rosaryfilms]

@backtohali - thank you for your comments!

[LaJemo]

"Teens and Young Women Who Get Plastic Surgery and Be Sex Objects Are Hot."

Celebration of women and sexuality...

Shockingly enough I'm not feeling all that celebrated. Thanks for making the video again. =) Really well done. <3

[rosaryfilms]

LaJemo, thank you very much for your comments!

[Guardianoftheunborn]

5 stars rosary films! I 100% agree with you. I am a man and I draw anime/manga for fun. I even drew little pro-life political cartoons just recently on a vid I did.

Anyway one the downsides of manga is that many women charcters, even teen girls wear clothes that are very revealing. Every time I look on google to see if there are any tips on how to draw anime I always find some lustful picture of an anime girl, drawn by another artist. It's not just girls but boys and men as well.

[rosaryfilms]

Guardianoftheunborn, thank you very much for your comments!

[NoCensorshipYT]

I have an almost 10 year old daughter and let me tell you, the self respect part of the womens movement died with Bill Clinton.

The fashions for little girls makes them look like prostitutes.

My 12 yr old son goes to school with girls that look like their half naked. Mix that in with the misogynistic hip-hop music and Beyonce shaking her butt and there is NO RESPECT shown for girls at all.

I think it has gotten worse than ever.

It's the PORNOFICATION of our young people.

[pinto9988]

Throwing away my television was the best thing I have done for my life. Fuck that box of lies

[thatnewguy84]

@AStrangerWoman13713 Poor parenting is also to blame. But when these girls get older they know right from wrong and to keep doing what they do is thier own fault. If you hold yourself like a whore thats how you will get treated. Same goes for any guy that holds himself like a criminal, thats how he will be treated.

[BeagleSugar]

A lot of women of today seem to be proud to be roughed around the edges, to act and carry themselves as unfeminine, steroid-roid raged macho-women who even want to also physically fight (no thanks to the reality shows of the catfights it contains) and seem to be proud and honored to be called a bitch/whore and to dress/act and carry themselves that way!...also proud to have kids out of wedlock by different men and proud to be USED as a semen depository and advertise themselves that way!!

[AStrangerWoman13713]

@thatnewguy84

Please don't blame only women, it's not women's fault, the WHOLE SOCIETY'S is!!!

[newfful]

I'm 22 and I don't watch TV or movies hardly because I can't relate to the majority of women in the media. They're either hot and act like bimbos just to get men in bed with them or mothers and grandmothers who play support actors with no major roles. The only movies I could really identify with were Muriel's Wedding and Fried Green Tomatoes. The news the advertisements just want women to be eyecandy even if they're curvy in those dove commercials. It's all about sex appeal, nothing else.

[thatnewguy84]

Alot of women sexualize and exploit themselves.

[KumarZimmerman08]

Its not about being seen as a sex object, its the lack of respect towards women in general. were seen as ONLY sexual objects. and very rarely valued for our love, our wisdom, our intellectual qualities, spiritual qualities ect.

[JohnnyDart76]

@Guardianoftheunborn: I'm disgusted by pedophiles as well.

[Guardianoftheunborn]

@JohnnyDart76 We don't ignore them. We're talking about this subject because it was on this video. It this was a video about Darfur I would be discussing it.

On the subject at hand. I just saw on Fox News that there were about 5 little girls (age 7) were wearing them ost revealing outfits and dancing on stage. It's really messed up considering that these were children. And I'd hate to have a pedophile in the audience.