Sexualization of girls in the media...and how it contributes to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other destructive behaviors

APA Press Release:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2007/02/sexualization.aspx
APA Summary of the findings:
http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx
Recently in the news:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/04/thylane-blondeau-10-year-old-model_n_918066.html
Sexualization of young girls in French Vogue
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/01/08/adultification-and-sexualization-of-girls-in-french-vogue/
Media Literacy Resources:
http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx
What can girls do?
http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx
APA Fact Sheet Eating Disorders:
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/pi/advocacy/2008/eating-disorders.pdf
Violence Against Women Fact Sheet:
http://www.mediaed.org/Handouts/Domestic_Violence_and_Abuse.pdf



Questions: 
What are some typical expectations of women in our culture? Where do these expectations come 
from? How fair or accurate do you think they are? And how do they compare with our 
expectations of men?



What are some of the potential physical, emotional, and mental effects on girls and women who 
try to live up to our culture’s ideal image of beauty? What relationship does Kilbourne see 
between cultural ideals of thinness and the cultural obsession with both dieting and eating 
disorders? What do you make of this connection?




What is the relationship between dehumanization, objectification, and violence?



Find an example where a young woman, or a girl, is sexualized in an advertisement. Then 
respond to each of the following:
 What message does this image send to young girls about sex?
 What message does this image send to young boys about sex?
 What do you think it says to older men?


Advertisements for beauty products frequently claim that women can defy the normal and 
natural aging process and seemingly look young forever. Find two or three ads for products that 
claim to fight the signs of aging. Then respond to the following:
 What point of view do these ads seem to have toward age and beauty? How is this point 
of view conveyed, specifically, in each?



Study Guide:
http://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/241/studyguide_241.pdf

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