Sexuality And The American Psychological Association

Long go the days of prude and proprietary notions of sexuality, in comes an era of more excepting generation that has accepted (for the majority) all of the twists and turns of sexuality and all of its counterparts. This generation during its liberation has been incarcerated by its own doing, instead of these people being seen as freed, they shamed and sexualized. Hyper-sexualization is defined by the American Psychological Association as â€Å"occurring when a person’s value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or behavior to the exclusion of other characteristics† (Jones). By this definition all qualities of a person is negated by their sex appeal. Then how can people hypersexualize children and youth? Aren’t they innately innocent? In†¦show more content†¦In America, the battle of hypersexualization is being wage, there are two main opposing groups and many extreme factions that are divided on the subject on of hypersexualization of youth, specifically girls. One side makes the claim that â€Å" we [have] no responsibility as a culture of the portrayal of girls as boy’s playing from and increasingly young age, and do we really believe that the growing degradation of women has no consequence† (Boteach). The other simply states â€Å"Children are not sexual. Exposed skin is not sexual. Children with exposed skin are not sexual† (Pickles). These two opposers generally agree in extreme cases of hypersexualization, where it can be detrimental to the child’s well-being. For example, child beauty pageants and how drastically it can sexualize a child. This sexualization will lead to mental health issues; eating disorder, unhealthy sexual development, and depression (Jones). For the smaller and more bine actions is where they clash. The daily routines of American youth, what they wear, act, speak, and show. Shmuley Boteach wrote an article addressing how Victoria’s Secret is targeting young girls with their PINK line. With words of â€Å"call me† and â€Å"I dare you† written on their underwear (Boteach).