The sexualization of children

When I read the expert from Levin and Kilbourne's (cite) So Sexy So Soon I was appalled.  I was truly stunned that there are children as young as four who are exposed to so much sex in the media.  As a parent I immediately tried to think of ways to shield my daughter from such exposure.  Then, after finishing the excerpt, I realized that shielding her is not the answer.  Being honest with her and available to answer her questions is a start.  But more importantly, ensuring that she witness and participates in loving, caring relationships.

Personal Experiences with the effects of a highly sexual environment on young children 

• When I was a student teacher for my undergraduate degree, one of my fellow classmates was placed in a middle school.  While talking with her students she discovered that to be part of the "in" crowd the children had to go through an initiation process much like joining a collage fraternity.  Part of this process was to have sex with another student on a particular rock in the playground.  Since the students wanted to be popular, many of them did so. 
• Recently, Disney released a Merida doll to support the movie Brave.  The doll, however looks nothing like the character in the movie, who has frizzy hair, a torn dress, and is attractive but large framed.  The doll is thin, in a low-cut pristine dress, with wavy, kept hair (Drexler, 2013).
• One of my children (3 yr. old) came to school last week with no pants on.  She picked out her shirt and told her dad that it was a dress.  When questioned on it's length, she stated that it covered her underwear, which to her meant it fit fine.  When she arrived at school, the first thing she did was ask her classmates if they thought her dress made her look pretty. 
• When I was in college, I attending a dramatic performance titled, The Vagina Monologues, where woman of all ages, races, and sexual preferences talked about their sexuality.  The most memorable among the experiences shared were those of women who were ashamed of sex and their feelings of sexuality.  Some went so far as to try and sew themselves closed to keep away the evil of sex.  Thinking back on this I am reminded of how damaging it can be if we ignore the sexuality present in today's media.  It is best if we are honest and open with children.  

I fear that the sexualization of today's children is going to lead to a generation of adults who believe they are only valued, and therefore only value others, for their outward appearance or what they can do for each other.  In the early childhood field, we can help combat this problem by stressing the value of character traits like empathy, caring, helpfulness, leadership, etc., above what a child looks like.

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf