The Dangers Of Beauty Pageants And Child Development

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Nichole Phipps
Instructor: Rebecca Werland
ENG 101
14 April 2015

Beauty Pageants and Child Development Child beauty pageants have been around for many years in the U.S. Today there are five thousand beauty pageants held annually across the U.S with two hundred- fifty thousand young participants under the age of fourteen. There are no age limits for these beauty pageants, age groups range from zero months to eight months and higher. Parents don’t realize it but entering their children into these pageants can change damage their children for the rest of their lives. Before these young beauty pageants damage a child’s development physically and mentally they should be banned. Children should not be allowed to compete in pageants at such young ages. Getting a child ready for a pageant can be physically harmful and psychologically as well. Children growing up in the pageant world can be lead to believe that life is superficial. These pageants can lead to three mental health issues- Eating disorders, low self- esteem, and even depression. …show more content…

Parents make their children get their eyebrows waxed, get spray tans, and even botox. On TLC, the hit show Toddlers & Tiaras, A ten year old pageant contestant, Aubrey Burgess, is shown getting ready for a beauty pageant. On the clip, Aubrey is shown enduring the pain of getting her eyebrows waxed and getting a small cut in the process, then going and getting a spray tan right after and wincing in pain stating “It hurts worse than a paper cut”, both the stylist and Aubrey’s mother just laugh and tell Aubrey, “It hurts to be beautiful.” Children with spray tans are more typically found in the “Glitz”

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