UNKNOWING BAIT? (LECTURE 17)

The comments my class mates have been making about “Midriff” have been right-on. I noticed the influx of people who began dressing like their favorite pop star (ie: Britney, Christina, Shania, etc) in the past 5 years. I was so surprised to see that parents were allowing their 10 or 11 year old daughters who didn’t even have a HINT of breasts to dress like Britney Spears in her little school girl uniform and showing their stomachs and low-cut shirts, wearing makeup, etc. When I asked one parent how she felt about that, she said “well at least they’re not doing drugs or getting into trouble.” This thought pattern bothers me because I think that this is opening children to other dangers that they may not be aware of.

When rapists/child molesters are caught, many of them say in their defense that it was how the victim was dressed. Anyone with even a minimal amount of education on this topic knows that the way the victim is dressed is no excuse. If someone says “NO!” they mean no, even if they are standing there naked. It’s still rape. This applies to child molestation, too. Chances are, if there is a pedophile in the neighborhood, he’s going to strike at some point. But if there is child who is dressing provocatively and way too old for their tender years, this gives the perpetrator more “fuel” for his case. He may find them an easy target.

My boyfriend pointed one child out to me one time when we were at a store. She could not have been more than 12 years old and she was wearing a short jean skirt that came mid-thigh, a pink midriff shirt that came to a “v” (this girl was actually developing already), high heels with frilly sox, and a ridiculous amount of makeup that just didn’t look natural. This immediately brought to mind that little Ramsey girl and the adult outfits and the amount of makeup she was wearing (I am by no means saying that the little Ramsey girl was molested, I am just pointing out the pictures from her pageants and how she was dressed and her makeup). I remember seeing one picture where she had a white button-down shirt (unbuttoned to the third button)and then unbuttoned from the bottom so that it could be tied in the front. She was sitting down and it was only from her waist-up so I didn’t see what else she was wearing but this was very disturbing. She was only 5 years old at the time!!!! There is absolutely NO reason that she should have been allowed to dress like that!

It has been said that with repeated exposure and desensitization children can learn how to deal with frightening situations and how to fend off dangers. Although this is true to a point, it is also a problem. If a child grows up thinking that this type of clothing and behavior is expected of them and this can cause other problems when they are looking for a “respectable“ job and/or a husband or even just the types of crowds they hang out with. In the case of the little girls mentioned previously, they are good examples of parents who are trying to be their kids’ friends or talent managers rather than just their parents, but that’s another class of it’s own. Thank you for letting me go off on a tangent and I welcome your comments!

Jessica