Child Beauty Pageants: A Form of Child Abuse

Child beauty pageants are known all around the world. They are advertised through magazines and reality shows. The young girls are marked up to be someone they are not. They resemble Barbie dolls with the fake lashes, fake boobs, fake nails, the pounds of makeup, spray tans, hoops, fake hair extensions, flashy and not age appropriate costumes. I am personally not a fan of the child beauty pageants for several reasons. I feel as though the children are being robbed of their childhood. The young girls should not be looked at in heels and a crop top.

It is completely and utterly inappropriate. Many of the girls are forced into these pageants. Child beauty pageants are a form of child abuse and should be stopped. The young girls involved in child beauty pageants have an image in their heads that beauty consists of fakeness. Girls at the age of two are strutting around stages with seductive costumes. “Teaching young girls a very narrow version of beauty, transforming their bodies so that their beauty can be measured and judged, or to use their sexualized bodies to earn money for the family is disgusting. Girls have a hard enough time with dealing with self esteem and living up to certain standards that they do not need to think that spray tanning your skin and wearing loads of makeup make you beautiful. “The toxic culture of the pageant world, the judging of beauty, is confusing to young children who have not reached emotional- intellectual milestones of understanding reality and competition. ” Natural beauty is a topic that should be stressed and taught to these girls.

These child beauty pageants are not just emotionally harmful but they are also dangerous to these young females. The procedures that some of these contestants go through to win is mind blowing. “When you add to this the chemically dangerous spray tans, butt glue, eyelash glue, hairspray, and cosmetics applied to these tiny, developing bodies, it is not a stretch to say these pageant programs are both emotionally and physically abusive. ” Entering a child into these beauty pageants is morally unjust.

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What these young girls learn only harms themselves, their self confidence, and their future. They’re learning that physical beauty is the primary judge of their character which is very immoral and wrong . Child beauty pageants encourage sexuality at a young age. They also create harm for that child, especially if that child is being forced by their parents to compete. “As Jessica walks off the stage empty handed, she looks at her mom with teary eyes as if she has failed both herself and her mom.

Many children like Jessica are forced into beauty pageants each year. Children at such a young age do not have the experience to learn that they are still a worthy person even if they lose the contest. All Jessica sees are other children leaving the stage with a sparkling trophy and their parents running over to them and giving them a big hug, while she walks off the stage with nothing and she sees her parents turning away. ” This is one of the primary reasons I absolutely despise these child beauty pageants.

Instead of Jessica enjoying her childhood by interacting with other children, having play dates, learning life skills, playing sports, watching cartoons, or playing pretend “Barbie” with her friends, she is the “Barbie”. Competitions claim to boost self esteem and encourage self confidence, but they do the opposite if you are not the winner. The pressure of winning put on them by their parents causes more stress than normal children would have to handle. Think of it this way. These young girls go through hours upon hours of practice, often taught by a professional.

They then endure makeup sessions, buying clothes for their wardrobe, trying on high heels, physically staying in shape even if her body isn’t fully developed yet, going through a pageant coach to go over the routine, exposing her body to such inappropriate clothing, and even taking criticism from her own parents. Is this and more really worth a crown and a bit of cash? Does this crown teach your child life lessons, respect, and how to live her life? All these beauty pageants do is lead these young girls down the wrong road.

In fact, some of these children can barely talk and have just learned to walk. Participating in these events later in life is absolutely fine, but at such a young age, nothing good comes out of child beauty pageants. The only positive aspect of these competitions could be an increase in self-esteem in both the child and the parent, but that “winning” factor only lasts for so long. Each year, child beauty pageants attract an estimated three million children, mostly girls, ranging from six months to sixteen years old. The oal of these pageants is to compete against your age group whose winner receives a crown, cash, and some happy parents. Is the collection of these “prizes” worth sacrificing the childhood you are supposed to love? The majority of the time all the work put into this outrageous event comes crashing down and you are left with a sobbing two year old that now feels worthless. This is not what childhoods should consist of. Child beauty pageants are a disgrace and they are a great excuse for your child to become ignorant and cocky as they grow older.

I just wish they never existed so each individual child could fully experience his or her childhood the way it was meant to be. People should grow into these types of events based upon what they want to do with themselves, not allowing a young girl to be exposed to makeup, dresses, and self worth. Beauty lies within us not within our appearance, and that is the unfortunate message these young girls are being taught. Child beauty pageants will always exist in our world, it is just up to the parents of that child to direct them in the right direction towards a successful and happy life.

Works Cited Page 1. Cartwright, Martina M. "Food For Thought. " Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls? N. p. , 12 Aug. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . 2. Sengupta, Saptakee. "Beauty Pageants for Children. " Buzzle. com. Buzzle. com, 03 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . 3. Russell, Maranda. "Children in Beauty Pageants - Is It a Bad Idea? " Examiner. com. N. p. , 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . 4. Schultz, Kristen, and Ann Pleshette Murphy. "Beauty Pageants Draw Children and Criticism. " ABC News. ABC News Network, 24 Feb. 0000. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. .

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