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Study Shows Schoolgirls Provocatively Dressed Less Studious |
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Thursday, 08 March 2007 |
 Richard O. Jones
Adult women dressed as schoolgirls in music videos,
bikini-clad dolls in hot tubs, and sexually-charged advertisements featuring
teenagers were among the many examples cited. Such omnipresent images -- on
television and the Internet, in movies and magazines -- can also have a
negative effect on a young girl's sexual development, the study cautioned.
Based on a comprehensive review of academic literature, the
66-page report noted that young adolescents and girls were particularly at risk
because their sense of self is still being formed. School performance can also
suffer. In one experiment cited, college-aged women were asked to try on and
evaluate either a swimsuit or a sweater. While they waited for 10 minutes while
wearing the garment, they completed a math test. The results revealed that young women in
swimsuits performed significantly worse ... than those wearing sweaters. No
differences were found for young men. Imagine that if the brain cells of
college girls are affected by dressing provocative, the affect on younger girls
must be devastating. I often see young girls on their way to local middle
schools and high school overly sexed-up from their hair to their apparel.
Unfortunately, it's out of the schools hands because if school officials
reprimand inappropriate dress the parents will claim the child has been
emotionally damaged and seek legal resolve. In my own personal experience, I
have noticed in the Sunday school class that I teach that young girls with too
much emphasis on the appearance are less likely to grasp the lesson.
The study, which includes numerous recommendations for
concerned parents, coincides with a growing wave of public concern about the
impact of highly sexed imagery. The study said, Sexualization occurs when
"a person's value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or
behavior," when sexuality is inappropriately imposed, or when a person is
sexually "objectified."
Looking at popular music videos, the authors quoted songs by
several popular artists emphasizing lyrics that they suggested sexually
objectified women. The report said, "Sexualization of women is
particularly prominent in advertising," and singled out beer commercials
as a major offender. Also cited was a shoe ad that features pop singer
Christina Aguilera dressed as a schoolgirl in pigtails, with her shirt
unbuttoned while licking a lollipop. The report called on parents to take a
more active roll in helping to shape the sexual self-image of their children,
and to exert consumer pressure on manufacturers and advertisers. Ultimately,
some girls are lobotomized by popular fashion.
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