Argument Beauty Pageants Harmful to Children

France, a country known for its makeup, clothing, and beauty industries, has recently banned child beauty pageants (Cruz, 2013). It is widely believed that child beauty pageants are harmful to children's mental, emotional, and even physical health, as well as injurious to public health. If France has deemed the pageants and the culture they represent as being detrimental to child development, then the rest of the world might follow suit. There are already calls to ban child beauty pageants based on recent social scientific evidence showing that they can cause real harm to young people. While some parents have defended the pageants on the grounds that they help their children overcome shyness or develop the skills necessary to gain "poise and confidence," none of those claims are based on fact ("The Whys and Woes of Child Beauty Pageants," 2000). Quite the contrary, research studies are showing that the pageants may be harmful to child health and well-being. Moreover, there are numerous ways to encourage children to develop confidence and self-esteem without resorting to the trappings of the beauty pageant circuit that range from artificial teeth and tans to thousand-dollar dresses. Child beauty pageants sexualize children and in many ways stunt their mental and emotional growth. In fact, child beauty pageants can be considered a form of child abuse based on research showing that they are harmful to the child's mental, emotional, and physical health.

One of the primary problems with child beauty pageants is the way they sexualize female children far before they even reach the age of puberty. Phang (2013) notes that "girls as young as three" are being sexualized in gross ways, even via the use of temporary breast enhancers. Agadoni (2015) and Cartwright (2011) agree that one of the worst problems with child beauty pageants is the premature sexualization of children as young as toddlers. Not only is the sexualization of young children detrimental to the child, but it also creates a sordid culture that normalizes child sexuality and could potentially fuel pedophilia. Americans are quick to judge other cultures for arranging marriages between children who have yet to reach puberty, so there is no reason why Americans should tolerate pageants that parade the sexuality of young girls before large public audiences.

Another issue with child beatify pageants is the increased risk for emotional problems to develop later in the child's life. Studies are showing that the intense pressure placed on children places them at risk for developing emotional problems later in life (Agadoni, 2015). Cartwright's (2011) research shows that eating disorders might result from the intense focus on body image from a young age. In fact, "many experts agree that participation in activities that focus on physical appearance at an early age can influence teen and/or adult self-esteem, body image and self-worth," (Cartwright, 2011). As Phang (2013) also points out, the overemphasis on body image causes children to "lose their childhood," as the children may miss out on socializing with their peers. Being continually self-conscious about their physical appearance may also stunt their social and emotional development, drawing attention away from the development of pro-social behaviors and creating personality disorders or mental illness. The sexualization of children can also lead to serious emotional and psychological problems linked to distorted views of sexuality.

Emphasizing physical beauty in the pageants can also hinder the child's intellectual growth, lower the child's self-esteem in areas unrelated to beauty, and inhibit academic attainment. The problems with beauty pageants might be lifelong, as "education takes a back seat" to their bodies; the children's bodies "are their livelihood and less-than-perfect might lead to unemployment," (Cartwright, 2011). Instead of channeling money and resources into school, athletics, art, or music, parents are diverting their child's attention and any resources available to the beauty pageant. The child then starts to believe their self-worth and value is linked to their physical beauty, which is invariably fleeting as well as superficial.

Participation in child beauty pageants may also hinder the child's access to educational improvement, hobbies, travel, or even nutritious food. As Agadoni (2013) also notes, some families place themselves in debt due to the financial strain of competitive pageants. Phang (2013) states that "thousands of dollars" will be spent on clothes, including bikinis, spray tans, and ... fake teeth ... to make toddlers look years beyond their age." The financial burden of competing in beauty pageants also shows that parents with more disposable income will be more likely to win due to their being able to afford better dresses and other enhancements. A child who wins based on how much money their parents spent will not realize the role that financial status has on their status as competition winner, whereas a losing child may attribute their loss to internal factors. The result is the perpetuation of class-based social hierarchies that are as harmful as the gender issues at stake with beauty pageants.

Child beauty pageants may lead to serious physical problems for children. For example, one mothers have used botox on their children as young as eight years old (Phang, 2013). Other methods of manipulating the child's body to look a certain way could cause major health problems. Eating disorders are one of the most common consequences of competing in the pageants because the girls are pressured to remain thinner than they naturally should be (Cartwright, 2011). The bad eating habits developed while on the competitive circuit, and the distorted body image ideals that correspond with the beauty circuit, are likely to last a long time and could cause long-term physical and psychological health problems. With self-worth inextricably connected to body, the child becomes a woman who has no sense of self-worth or self-esteem other than which derives from the physical form.