Sexualisation of Young People Review

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Sexualisation of Young People Review In addressing these issues we must not forget that sexual curiosity is a normal feature of childhood and therefore we need to provide young people with the tools that will enable them to deal with sexual content safely and successfully. I believe that providing our kids with a set of realistic, non-exploitative representations of gender and sexuality would go a long way towards ensuring their healthy emotional – and sexual – development and promoting gender equality. I want my little girl, indeed, all girls and boys, to grow up confident about who they are and about finding and expressing their individuality and sexuality, but not through imposed gender stereotypes or in a way that objectifies the body or commodifies their burgeoning sexuality. This review is a step towards understanding how, as parents, as educators and as citizens we can take responsibility for creating safe and supportive environments for our children to understand and explore relationships and sexuality – and ensure that they do so in their own time and at their own pace. 4
Sexualisation of Young People Review 1. Executive summary “How have sex, sexiness and sexualisation gained such favour in recent years as to be the measure by which women’s and girls’ worth is judged? While it is not a new phenomenon by any means, there is something different about the way it occurs today and how it impacts on younger and younger girls.” 1 1. Violence against women and girls is unacceptable, whatever the circumstances and whatever the context. In March 2009, the government launched the Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls consultation in order to raise awareness of the problem and explore policy proposals and ideas designed to help prevent violence against women and girls. This report forms part of that consultation. 1 2. This review looks at how sexualised images and messages may be affecting the development of children and young people and influencing cultural norms, and examines the evidence for a link between sexualisation and violence. The decision by the government to commission this review reflects the importance of the issue and the popular perception that young people (and in particular young women and girls) are increasingly being pressured into appearing sexually available. The report looks at examples and the prevalence of sexualisation in culture and proposes mechanisms by which sexualised messages are being internalised and the consequences of these on young people. 3. The world is saturated by more images today than at any other time in our modern history. Behind each of these images lies a message about expectations, values and ideals. Women are revered – and rewarded – for their physical attributes and both girls and boys are under pressure to emulate polarised gender stereotypes from a younger and younger age. The evidence collected in this report suggests these developments are having a profound impact, particularly on girls and young women. 1 McLellan, Sexualised and Trivialized – Making Equality Impossible. Quoted in: Tankard Reist (2010) 5
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Dr Linda Papadopoulos Dr Linda Papa
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