Submission No 17 s exualisation of children and young people organisation

The impact on children and young people of growing up in a 
sexualised culture 
Children are now growing up in a culture that repeats the message that a person’s value mainly lies in 
their sexual attractiveness. This message is fed to them from many sources, including electronic 
games, magazines, TV programs and the internet. It is a message reinforced by similar and perhaps 
stronger messages in the mainstream culture, particularly regarding the persistent depiction of 
women as sexual objects for men’s pleasure. The result is that children are forced to deal with sex and 
sexuality before they are developmentally ready. 
American Psychological Association 
The American Psychological Association, the largest body of psychologists in the world, formed a task 
force on the Sexualisation of Girls. The evidence examined by the task force includes the psychological 
theory, research and clinical experience, addressing the sexualisation of girls, via media and other 
cultural messages. The task force found that there was ample evidence to show that sexualisation has 
negative effects in a variety of domains, including: cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, 
sexuality and beliefs.
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The APA task force found the following: 

Self-objectification has been repeatedly shown to detract from the ability to concentrate and 
focus one’s attention, thus leading to impaired performance on mental activities.
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Sexualisation and objectification undermine confidence in and comfort with one’s own body, 
leading to a host of negative emotional consequences, such as shame, anxiety and even self-
disgust.
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Sexualisation is linked with three of the most common mental health problems of girls and 
women: eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression or depressed mood.
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Frequent exposure to narrow ideals of attractiveness is associated with unrealistic and/or 
negative expectations concerning sexuality.
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APA Task Force p 2 
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APA P 3 
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APA p 3 
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APA p 3 
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APA p 3 

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Frequent exposure to media images that sexualize girls and women affects how girls 
conceptualise femininity and sexuality. Girls and young women who more frequently 
consume or engage with mainstream media content offer stronger endorsement of sexual 
stereotypes that depict women as sexual objects.
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The sexualisation of girls can negatively impact other groups in society, for example, exposure 
to narrow ideals of sexual attractiveness may make it difficult for some men to find an 
“acceptable” partner or to fully enjoy intimacy with a female partner.
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
It may lead to increased rates of sexual harassment and sexual violence, and an increase in 
demand for child pornography.
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