Children and Beauty Pageants: Just Say No

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Recommended: Negative effects of child beauty pageants

Young girls should not be exposed to beauty pageants. Beauty pageants became part of the American society in the 1920's. Child beauty pageants began in the 1960's. Child beauty pageants consist of modeling sportswear, evening attire, dance and talent. The children are judged based on individuality in looks, capability, poise, perfection and confidence. (“Kareen Nussbaum”) Putting your child in a situation as to being

Judged by others is terrible. Young girls should not be judged by how they look, weight, height etc… this can make the girls feel insecure about themselves when they are older. These girls might think they look beautiful with make-up; they can also be self-fish with others. It can also lead to disorders having an image of perfection. It can lead to danger as well.

Mothers are the ones that get really obsessed with these pageants. They have their own dream to be a beauty queen and go to their daughter to fulfill an achievement they did not complete in their life. Its hunger the parents carve for. Mothers start to notice their 5 year old show interest of dancing and singing, they decide to force them into beauty pageants. Some of the mothers get really competitive not only with the other mothers but as well as the other contestants. They might not know they are harming their child and think it’s for the fun of it. I know that they do use some kind of “special juice” and they have “pageant crack” to keep their toddler energized. The special juice can be any kind of sugar drink and as for the pageant crack its pixy sticks. Some parents mix sugar drink or give them coffee to keep them awake and ready for their performance. The so-called pageant crack can be misleading to the girls; they could end up being drug addic...

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...” Today.com. 13 July 2011. Web. 6 Feb 2014.

Erica Sandberg “Toddlers, Tiaras -- and Debt: the Costs of Child Beauty Pageants.” foxbusiness.com. FOX News Network, LLC, 22 July 2011. Web. 5 Feb 2014.

Kareen Nussbaum “ Children and Beauty Pageants” minorcon.org. N.p., n.d. Web 7 Feb 2014.

K. Thor Jensen “The Worst Pageant Moms” Ugo.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc, March 2, 2012. Web. 5 Feb 2014.

Martina M. Cartwright, Ph.D., R.D. “Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls? The princess syndrome, self-image and eating disorders.”Psychologytoday.com. 12 Aug 2011. Web. 6 Feb 2014.

Rick Nauert PhD “Child Beauty Pageants May Be More About Parents.” Psychcentral.com. Psych Central, 10 Feb 2014. Web. 5 Feb 2014.

Teen Depression: Determining the signs. “Is Child Beauty Pageant A Form of Child Exploitation? It’s Your Call.” childrefuge.org. n.d. Web. 4 Feb 2014.

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