France, a country known for its makeup, clothing, and beauty industries, has recently banned child beauty pageants (Cruz, 2013). It is widely believed that child beauty pageants are harmful to children's mental, emotional, and even physical health, as well as injurious to public health. If France has deemed the pageants and the culture they represent as being detrimental to child development, then the rest of the world might follow suit. There are already calls to ban child beauty pageants based on recent social scientific evidence showing that they can cause real harm to young people. While some parents have defended the pageants on the grounds that they help their children overcome shyness or develop the skills necessary to gain "poise and confidence," none of those claims are based on fact ("The Whys and Woes of Child Beauty Pageants," 2000). Quite the contrary, research studies are showing that the pageants may be harmful to child health and well-being. Moreover, there are numerous ways to encourage children to develop confidence and self-esteem without resorting to the trappings of the beauty pageant circuit that range from artificial teeth and tans to thousand-dollar dresses. Child beauty pageants sexualize children and in many ways stunt their mental and emotional growth. In fact, child beauty pageants can be considered a form of child abuse based on research showing that they are harmful to the child's mental, emotional, and physical health.
One of the primary problems with child beauty pageants is the way they sexualize female children far before they even reach the age of puberty. Phang (2013) notes that "girls as young as three" are being sexualized in gross ways, even via the use of temporary breast enhancers. Agadoni (2015) and Cartwright (2011) agree that one of the worst problems with child beauty pageants is the premature sexualization of children as young as toddlers. Not only is the sexualization of young children detrimental to the child, but it also creates a sordid culture that normalizes child sexuality and could potentially fuel pedophilia. Americans are quick to judge other cultures for arranging marriages between children who have yet to reach puberty, so there is no reason...
Studies are showing that the intense pressure placed on children places them at risk for developing emotional problems later in life (Agadoni, 2015). Cartwright's (2011) research shows that
eating disorders might result from the intense focus on
body image from a young age. In fact, "many experts agree that participation in activities that focus on
physical appearance at an early age can influence teen and/or adult self-esteem, body image and self-worth," (Cartwright, 2011). As Phang (2013) also points out, the overemphasis on body image causes children to "lose their
childhood," as the children may miss out on socializing with their peers. Being continually self-conscious about their physical appearance may also stunt their social and
emotional development, drawing attention away from the development of pro-social behaviors and creating personality disorders or
mental illness. The sexualization of children can also lead to serious emotional and psychological problems linked to distorted views of sexuality.
Emphasizing physical beauty in the pageants can also hinder the child's intellectual growth, lower the child's self-esteem in areas unrelated to beauty, and inhibit academic attainment. The problems with beauty pageants might be lifelong, as "education takes a back seat" to their bodies; the children's bodies "are their livelihood and less-than-perfect might lead to
unemployment," (Cartwright, 2011). Instead of channeling
money and resources into
school, athletics, art, or
music, parents are diverting their child's attention and any resources available to the beauty pageant. The child then starts to believe their self-worth and value…
