The authors of the book “So Sexy So Soon,” Diane Levin and Jean Kilbourne, answer questions about how today's sexualized culture affects kids as young as 7 years old, and they offer tips on how parents can address this with their children on NBC Today. Read the interview here.
Q: You say the “sexualization of childhood” affects boys, as well as girls, negatively. Can you expand on this?
A: Boys learn to see girls as objects and judge and value them by how they look and how “sexy” they are. And boys are taught to conform to a very narrow definition of masculinity — being tough and invulnerable and aggressive. This can make it very difficult for boys to become men capable of having positive, caring, and connected relationships. This is a very high price to pay.
Q: Among girls, self-esteem is so tied to looking and dressing “sexy.” How can parents help their daughters feel good about themselves while setting rules for dress/makeup that are age-appropriate?
A: First, it is very important for parents to set rules for dress/makeup that are age-appropriate. Let children be children — let's not rush them into adulthood. There's no reason for 5-year-old girls to have makeover parties! We can help our girls develop a wide range of ways to feel good about themselves that go way beyond how they look. We can encourage them to use their bodies in healthy ways, such as in sports and play — so they learn to love and appreciate their bodies for what they can do, not just how decorative they are.
Q: How do parents protect their children from sexualized images without sheltering them too much or being overbearing?
A: Read our book! There is no simple answer to this question — no one formula for “getting it right.” But there are many things parents can do to make it a whole lot better, and “So Sexy So Soon” gives lots of ideas and tips for the many kinds of situations that may arise.
We can filter out many of the images but certainly not all. As always, it is important to have conversations with children about the images they see (which often are very disturbing to young children) and to be open to their concerns and questions.
We also should be teaching media literacy in our schools — teaching our children to be critical viewers — so that the burden isn't entirely on parents.
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