The Impacts of Child Beauty Pageants on Children

A San Francisco mother hit the news in early 2011 when she was investigated by child welfare authorities for giving Botox injections to her 8-year-old daughter. The mother reported that the use of Botox on children was not uncommon in the world of child beauty pageants. Such contests for children have been controversial, raising questions about their effects on kids. The pageants were first held in the 1960s primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. The children are judged for their looks, presentation, modeling skill, poise, confidence and skill in a performance art.

  1. Stress

    • Children may not be able to handle the stress of beauty pageants. Contestants may not get enough sleep. The excitement, pace and intensity of the pageant can take a toll emotionally and physically. A young contestant is expected to act as an adult in some instances and in others to be perfectly submissive to the high expectations of adults. When preparing for and competing in a pageant the child has to keep herself attentive to the activity for long periods of time. Most children do not naturally have the attention span to make this comfortable for them.

    Parent/Child Relationship

    • The parent of the contestant is heavily involved in financing and arranging the child's pageant career. Many contestants start at such a young age that it is clear they did not originally choose to participate. Many parents and children might enjoy the activity on a limited scale and enjoy the time spent together doing it. Other parents may pressure children, project their own ambitions on the child or treat the pageant contests too seriously. The child's relationship with her parent may revolve too much around the pageant, skewing it unnaturally. The child may not wish to disappoint a parent by not participating.

    Self Esteem

    • Many people believe pageants give children self-esteem and confidence. This may be true to an extent, but the pressurized pageant environment and the must-win expectations may ultimately harm the child's self-esteem. She may come to believe that the "total package," is the sum of her self. She may come to feel that unless she is perfect she has little value. A young contestant may also believe that she is superior to other children as a result of the attention she receives and the extremely competitive environment of the pageant.

    Time

    • Child beauty pageant contestants spend many hours a week preparing for pageants. They practice their presentations, attend clothing fittings and learn to comport themselves to do well in the pageant. This takes time away from activities they might otherwise enjoy or need for development. They have little time left for outdoor play, learning sports, music or art. They may not have normal friendships with other children because they do not participate in a well-rounded schedule of activities.

    Sexualization

    • The make-up, hairstyling and clothing styles that are part of the contestant's appearance are not normally seen on children. Clothing may be child-sized adult fashions. Children are expected to walk and pose in ways that focus intensely on their appearance and image. These things objectify and sexualize the child. They can become confused between the role-playing of a pageant and conduct in the real world. The contestant may begin to see her own body as an object to be presented for approval. Another fear is that pedophiles may target children who are visible in pageants.

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