The Pageant Director for the Cities of America preliminary pageant system echoes these sentiments and argues that pageants are good for girls-they develop self-confidence by actively trying to be a part of something, they compete with others through a fair process, and they enjoy meeting others with similar interests. Since young girls like playing dress up and enjoy participating in beauty pageants, they argue, they are positive events. Supporters often cite self-confidence and poise as attributes that children learn during the pageant process, and still more defend pageants as being similar to other athletic, music, or educational programs. Support for participation ĭespite criticism of child beauty pageants, contestants' parents continue to argue for the positive impact these competitions have on their children's personal development. Although these children are working long hours throughout the week for the financial gain of their parents, child labour laws in the United States do not apply to them and the practice remains mostly unregulated. Parents seek training for pageants in various ways such as private coaching, teaching the children themselves, and pageant schools. They are often times pushed beyond their limit during training periods by being denied rest when necessary. The training for child beauty pageant competitors include a strict of every aspect of their everyday routine and long hours.
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īeginning in 2016, the Miss Teen USA pageant removed the swimsuit competition and replaced it with an athleticwear round. Activists say that the competition, though legal, abuses the human rights of minors. Miss Tanguita, which translates as "Miss Little Thong", is held in Barbosa, Santander, Colombia as an annual part of the "del Rio Suarez" Festival. The viewership implies that many adults not only condone these activities but also view children as sexual objects. The child pageant industry involves thousands of contestants and $5 billion a year in revenue, and television networks air in-demand shows like Toddlers & Tiaras and Little Miss Perfect. The child perceives that sexuality is not only encouraged but can be a means to an end. In preparation for these beauty pageants, children have their appearances altered by costumes, makeup, and other products, which objectifies them at a very young age. Many views the child's appearance as obscene or inappropriate. Wiehe, a professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, states, "sexualization occurs through little girls wearing adult women's clothing in diminutive sizes, the use of makeup which often is applied by makeup consultants, spray tanning the body, the dying of hair and the use of hair extensions, and assuming provocative postures more appropriate for adult models". In the United States, legal adulthood and ability to give consent varies from 16 to 18 years of age, yet in child beauty pageants, the children's consenting parents permit them to participate, pay their entry fees, dress them, and train them to perform on stage in front of judges and an audience.Īs Vernon R. A report by the American Psychological Association more specifically cites sexuality that is imposed on someone, rather than undertaken by choice, as evidence of sexualization. Sexualization occurs when a person's value comes only from their sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics. There are several components to sexualization that set it apart from healthy sexuality.