Boarding Schools for Girls

Australia's Spinifex Press has announced the publication of a new collection of essays on the sexualization and objectification of girls in modern society. According to a Spinifex release, Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls addresses the many unhealthy effects associated with this unfortunately prevalent problem:

From advertising and merchandising to Bratz and Voodoo Dolls to the Henson affair, Getting Real puts the spotlight on the sexualisation and objectification of girls and women in the media, popular culture and society.

Girls are portrayed as sexual at younger ages, pressured to conform to a "thin, hot, sexy" norm. Clothing, music, magazines, toys and games send girls the message that they are merely the sum of their body parts. The effects of prematurely sexualising girls are borne out in their bodies and minds, with a rise in self-destructive behaviours such as eating disorders and self-harm, along with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

Getting Real is edited by Melinda Tankard Reist, an author, women's advocate, and founder of Women's Forum Australia.

Labels: mental health, sex, self-esteem

Posted By: Aspen/CRC