The Sexualisation of Children
Now, I'm gonna be a hard-hitting journalist when I'm older, so I figured I ought to start writing about stuff that's in the news, stuff that interests people - that gets a repsonse.
Anways, I'm not really sure where to start on this one. So, I'll start with exactly why I've chosen this topic for today... Well, mainly because Panorama just did a feature on it. And also, because it's something that actually does bug me - as a sixteen year old, watching the kids further down in your own school that are fourteen, thirteen, even twelve or eleven, acting and dressing more grown up than you do sometimes?
Panorama featured a thirteen-year-old girl called Chloe, who has her heart set out on being a dancer in music videos for Beyonce or other artists like that, and for a small section of the program they showed Chloe dancing to Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole etc... The moves she was doing shouldn't be done by anyone under the age of fifteen at least. They just shouldn't be taught them and shouldn't be encouraged to do them. They make it illegal for child prostitution and all of that yet dancing like a stripper is still perfectly fine? And oh, all whilst wearing a very short pair of shorts, tights and a low-cut top, to show off what little there was there. Really people?
Let me use my own example. Not hating on any of the Year 9's in my school, but they're going to be my example for today.
So, the Year 9's hit Year 9 at the start of September last year (that part is really too obvious), but all of a sudden - they weren't kids anymore? All of a sudden they had attitude and were flirting with Year 11 guys and walking through the Year 11 quad was the route to every single lesson. And it wasn't all "innocent" changes. Yes, sexual activity went on with quite a few of them - one or two of the girls in particular. But then one day I log into facebook and the main culprit from Year 9 has a birthday? She's turning fourteen? Fourteen!? So god-knows-how-many guys have had their dicks sucked by a thirteen-year-old girl. Wow, now there's a nice thought.
Then there's also the shock as you see on your page that another girl has changed her profile picture. And in the corner of your eye you spot something, so you click on her profile. And BAM. There's the skirt that you've been wanting for ages now, that you've been saving up for and that you have grand plans to go out and buy. But no more. The sight of thirteen-year-old legs exposed with the help of such a pretty skirt has put you off the very garment for life.
I personally feel that in most cases, the parents and the schools are to blame? Strict uniform rules at school stop children being sexualised too early because let's face it - they see the older kids with tiny skirts and shirts unbuttoned down to their boobs and think "hey! that's what I gotta do!" And parents have a massive say in what their children do and wear? Or they should anyways. Yes, there's a certain point when you just have to let go. But you gotta see my point here.
But FML Panorama. They did a section featuring this survey that the London School of Economics has published. It surveyed 9 to 16 year olds and found that half have internet acess in their rooms and there's another "shocking" figure about how many have internet on their phones. But let's think. It's wrong for a nine to eleven year old to have internet acess in their room so they can do what they like. But when you're fourteen/fifteen/sixteen? You NEED internet in your room! Not least of all to finish off homework!
Anyways, there's my opinion. I'm not going to rant anymore because anyone reading this will probably have stopped by the second paragraph and just thought "woahhh there :L"
As usual, opinions/comments, don't be afraid to say :)
Anways, I'm not really sure where to start on this one. So, I'll start with exactly why I've chosen this topic for today... Well, mainly because Panorama just did a feature on it. And also, because it's something that actually does bug me - as a sixteen year old, watching the kids further down in your own school that are fourteen, thirteen, even twelve or eleven, acting and dressing more grown up than you do sometimes?
Panorama featured a thirteen-year-old girl called Chloe, who has her heart set out on being a dancer in music videos for Beyonce or other artists like that, and for a small section of the program they showed Chloe dancing to Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole etc... The moves she was doing shouldn't be done by anyone under the age of fifteen at least. They just shouldn't be taught them and shouldn't be encouraged to do them. They make it illegal for child prostitution and all of that yet dancing like a stripper is still perfectly fine? And oh, all whilst wearing a very short pair of shorts, tights and a low-cut top, to show off what little there was there. Really people?
Let me use my own example. Not hating on any of the Year 9's in my school, but they're going to be my example for today.
So, the Year 9's hit Year 9 at the start of September last year (that part is really too obvious), but all of a sudden - they weren't kids anymore? All of a sudden they had attitude and were flirting with Year 11 guys and walking through the Year 11 quad was the route to every single lesson. And it wasn't all "innocent" changes. Yes, sexual activity went on with quite a few of them - one or two of the girls in particular. But then one day I log into facebook and the main culprit from Year 9 has a birthday? She's turning fourteen? Fourteen!? So god-knows-how-many guys have had their dicks sucked by a thirteen-year-old girl. Wow, now there's a nice thought.
Then there's also the shock as you see on your page that another girl has changed her profile picture. And in the corner of your eye you spot something, so you click on her profile. And BAM. There's the skirt that you've been wanting for ages now, that you've been saving up for and that you have grand plans to go out and buy. But no more. The sight of thirteen-year-old legs exposed with the help of such a pretty skirt has put you off the very garment for life.
I personally feel that in most cases, the parents and the schools are to blame? Strict uniform rules at school stop children being sexualised too early because let's face it - they see the older kids with tiny skirts and shirts unbuttoned down to their boobs and think "hey! that's what I gotta do!" And parents have a massive say in what their children do and wear? Or they should anyways. Yes, there's a certain point when you just have to let go. But you gotta see my point here.
But FML Panorama. They did a section featuring this survey that the London School of Economics has published. It surveyed 9 to 16 year olds and found that half have internet acess in their rooms and there's another "shocking" figure about how many have internet on their phones. But let's think. It's wrong for a nine to eleven year old to have internet acess in their room so they can do what they like. But when you're fourteen/fifteen/sixteen? You NEED internet in your room! Not least of all to finish off homework!
Anyways, there's my opinion. I'm not going to rant anymore because anyone reading this will probably have stopped by the second paragraph and just thought "woahhh there :L"
As usual, opinions/comments, don't be afraid to say :)