Over the past decade, the sexualisation of children has become a fiercely debated topic around the globe, with national inquiries recently conducted in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
We’ve also seen some spectacular retail fails. In 2006, UK chain store Tesco advertised a pole dancing kit in its toys and games section, labelled as suitable for children aged eleven years and up. In 2009, British bookstore WH Smith stocked a selection of Playboy-branded stationery products, marketed to school-age girls. And in 2011, US clothing label Abercrombie & Fitch released a range of push-up bikinis in their children’s line, said to be appropriate for girls as young as eight years old. Each of these products was eventually recalled following public outrage.
This sexualisation not only impacts on how young girls see themselves, our new research shows it also affects how they are treated and viewed by adults.
Past research suggests Australian girls as young as six-years-old place a similar emphasis on their physical appearance as adult women. Among young girls, this self-objectification brings about a number of negative psychological outcomes, including disordered eating, anxiety, and depression.
This research reveals how many girls perceive themselves in our culture. But very little research has asked how sexualisation affects the way in which young girls are perceived by others. One recent study found that people who viewed a photo of a ten-year old girl in highly sexualised clothing (a short dress and leopard print cardigan) rated her as less intelligent and less moral than people who viewed her in less sexualised clothing.
