Sex Sells, But Are Children Paying the Price?

Everyone knows that sex sells, advertisers take an ordinary image and make it simply irresistible by giving it a sexy edge. According to research done by advertising and marketing research firm, Gallup and Robinson the use of sexual images in advertising is  "a significantly above-average technique in communicating

with the marketplace'." When everything from cheeseburgers to shampoo has a sexual image attached to it, its really not that big of a surprise that ads geared toward children or even the children themselves are being sexualized as well. 

Australian Commentator Philip Adams calls this Corporate Pedophilia,"the abuse of children involving sexual abuse, violent abuse and economic exploitation by some of the mightiest corporations." The corporations that sexualize children in their marketing schemes, promote "molestation on a massive scale" according to Adams. Many other critics are agreeing with him, for example the Australian Senate has linked Beauty Pageants with body image and issues and child abuse. 

Authors Emma Rush and Andrea La Nauze warn in their book ‘Corporate Paedophilia’ the potential consequences of the sexualization of children in advertising. They say that these ads not only promote pedophilia but also promote precocious sexual activity in children and that can be extremely dangerous, especially for girls. Premature exposure to sexual images can heighten the pressure for young girls to strive to look a certain way, causing body images. It can also lead to the promotion of sexual behaviors and actions. Sexualization can also hinder the ability to form positive relationships in the future. Young girls and boys lack the understanding of sexual desire and the premature sexualization of theses children can bring on dangers situations such as unwanted sex. 

In Australia there is a debate going on whether or not the sexualization of children in the media should be regulated. Considering that sexualization of children is no stranger to American media maybe its time to rethink the advertisements that are in circulation.