Critical Resource Response #1: Emily

575 Words

By the age of seventeen, 18 percent of girls will be sexually assaulted (Gould, Swift). The topic of my chosen article is how exploitation and sexualization towards women and girls fuels violence towards them. The main point that authors Jaimee Swift and Hannah Gould make is that the media creates a mindset in which women are only objects to be looked at and are not to be given positions of power. Through the course this essay, I will discuss how sexualizing girls from a young age can lead to detrimental consequences, the concealment of sexual assault, and the resources that people can take advantage of to help educate themselves and others.

The sexualization of girls starts from an early age. The hyper-sexualization of girls starts with fashion. Most girls are told to buy certain bras and be a certain weight to get the boy’s attention. This often means to wear the bare minimum of clothing and to pose in a demeaning way. The consequences of these actions were studied at Wesleyan University. They took a sample of 58 magazines and 51.8% of the ads in said magazines that featured women, portrayed them as sex objects. In addition, when women appeared in ads for men's magazines, they were objectified 76% of the time (Gould, Swift). This can be detrimental to societies views on consent, sex and violence. This could lead to more instances of rape and sexual assault which also affects young girls confidence.

Adolescent girls who have experienced forced sex are typically afraid to seek help, no matter the circumstances. According to data from 30 countries, only 1% of rape victims sought professional help (Gould, Swift). They are afraid of being shamed, blamed or distrusted. This is due to the idea that women are seen as objects and men have sexual needs. These actions are perpetuated by rape apologists. Their most notable phrase being, “boys will be boys”. When seeking help girls are often asked, “What were you wearing?”, “How much did you have to drink?” and “Well, were you alone?”. These questions make it seem like the woman is at fault. Although the #MeToo movement is allowing victims to come together and encourage survivors to speak up, these systemic problems, unfortunately, do not go away.

The most proactive way to get involved is to become educated on the issue. There are countless organizations in the fight to end the stigma of sexual assault and media objectification of girls. Well- known organizations such as Together for Girls is a widespread, global public-private partnership that aids in the secession of violence against girls (Gould, Swift). With a strong focus on sexual violence against girls, this organization collaborates with governments to help share their recourses and address the violations that take place under their watch. On an individual scale, the easiest way to make a difference is to sign petitions and be aware of the societal mindset towards girls.

In summation, the discussion of the sexualization of young girls and its long-lasting impacts, the unwillingness to speak out when sexual assault occurs, and the organizations that have joined the fight all can lead to a changed mindset opposite of what society has led us to believe. When a girl is told from a young age that her value lies in the attention of a male, she loses her independence. Until the world stops encouraging the blatant objectification of human beings, violence against women will never end.