The American Psychology Association has issued a report from its task force on the sexualization of girls. I found it to be balanced and was impressed that even though media contribute negatively to the objectification and sexualization of girls, the study also identified other ambient and environmental factors. Furthermore, it recommends (see quote below) media literacy and DIY media as effective approaches to dealing with the problem.
You can download the report pdf here.
There’s also a great page for media literacy resources dealing with sexuality and girls.
Also, you can check out my own media literacy resource that deals generally with the subject of sexuality, body image and youth of color.
Because the media are important sources of sexualizing images, the development and implementation of schoolbased media literacy training programs could be key in combating the influence of sexualization.There is an urgent need to teach critical skills in viewing and consuming media, focusing specifically on the sexualization of women and girls. Other school-based approaches include increased access to athletic and other extracurricular programs for girls and the development and presentation of comprehensive sexuality education programs.
Strategies for parents and other caregivers include learning about the impact of sexualization on girls and coviewing media with their children in order to influence the way in which media messages are interpreted. Action by parents and families has been effective in confronting sources of sexualized images of girls. Organized religious and other ethical instruction can offer girls important practical and psychological alternatives to the values conveyed by popular culture.
Girls and girls’ groups can also work toward change. Alternative media such as “zines†(Web-based magazines), “blogs†(Web logs), and feminist magazines, books, and Web sites encourage girls to become activists who speak out and develop their own alternatives. Girl empowerment groups also support girls in a variety of ways and provide important counterexamples to sexualization.
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