Steger

1

Raisa Steger
Ms. Gardner
English 10 Honors, Period 1
8 May 2014
Child Beauty Pageants: The Hidden Truth
With nearly 250,000 children taking part in the various 3,000 beauty pageants
created each year the competition is fierce and children are forced to spend a
significant amount of time every day preparing for the contests. (Wallace). Studies
of beauty pageants have consistently shown that many do not wish to participate in
these events and are forced by their parents to. The article, Kid Beauty Pageants are
Creepy, states that if children participating in the pageant are not judged the way
they see fit, it could harm their self-esteem. Psychologists say the adult aspects of
this are not appropriate for vulnerable young children, and could dent their self-
esteem if they are not judged the best (Critchley). This statement from this same
article follows by further stating that children are more likely to gain confidence and
self-esteem by participating in a sport and taking part in school activities. Having
watched child beauty pageants, it seems as if these pageants are for the self-esteem
of the parent and not for the overall development of the child. Competing in beauty
pageants differs greatly from taking ballet lessons or playing soccer. The intense
pressure of these pageants in addition to their adult-related themes can have an
adverse effect on a childs mental development.
Steger

2
Children participating in these pageants must face obstacles even before they
go on stage to preform. The beauty pageant mothers create tension with their
children into looking picture perfect before they waltz on the stage. This includes
forcing the child to apply a fake tan and as well as fake hair, fake eyelashes, and
pounds of makeup. Not only are these children struggling against their parents at
the mere thought of getting dressed up, once the children are beautified, they
appear to look older than what their actual age is. This can create a dilemma for the
child as they are mentally much younger than they physically appear to be.
Beauty pageants over-sexualize young children and send out the wrong message to
the viewers. In this scenario, the parents are the culprits here; teaching your child
to be sexy and alluring at such a young, tender age when they are not ready for such
exploitation. This assertion is made by Martina M. Cartwright, a professor of
nutritional sciences at the University of Arizona. "To paint makeup on their faces
and do up their hair, etc., OMG, wake up people," states Charlie Caissie, a journalist.
"These are children for heaven's sake, not adults. Let them decide for themselves at
an appropriate age if they want to pursue this when they are adults." In similarity to
Caissie, child psychologist Wendy Walsh adds that allowing six year olds to behave
in this manner may lead to behavior problems later on in life (Wallace).
Admittedly, children who participate in beauty pageants can improve their
confidence and do learn the value of preparation before an event or competition.
However, these pageants revolve around young children who are coerced into
participating in events that were initially only designed for adults. In addition, the
training program and subsequent practice sessions to enter a pageant are grueling
Steger

3
(Phang). Not only this, but the cost to enter a beauty pageant is quite expensive and
this does not include the cost for the dresses and shoes. The financial outlay
endured by parents can mean less money available for other children activities or to
better schools. The estimated cost of participating in a single competition is
between $3,000 to $5,000 (Cartwright). So even though there may be some
redeeming aspects to these beauty pageants, the negatives clearly outweigh the
positives. The amount of pressure placed on the competing children to win is
immense and can lead to an eating disorder, depression, or other psychological
complication (Agadoni).
Furthermore, research shows that children who participate in beauty pageants
are more likely to damage their self-esteem. (Cartwright). Instead of being able to
have play dates with friends, these children must face the pressure to constantly win
their competitions. These beauty pageants critique these children in their manner
and appearance instead of teaching them that what matters is what is on the
insidetheir personality and not their features. Although some may argue that
beauty pageants raise the childs self-esteem instead of lowering it, other activities
have the same effect. Children who participate in an after-school sport and/or club
are more likely to meet new friends and express their own individuality instead of
competing with the young children who act the same. Activities such as singing or
playing a sport allow for a child to gain more self-esteem and the confidence they
yearn for without reinforcing unattainable standards of beauty.
Ultimately, children participating in these beauty pageants are deprived of their
childhood and may be at a risk of developing mental issues as they age. According to
Steger

4
Georgia Witkin Ph.D., children have trouble understanding the judgment process
that occurs in these beauty pageants. These children face constant rejection from
the judges and this, in turn, effects their self-esteem and out-look on how they
should present themselves. The major mental issues that derive from the constant
pressure of participating in these pageants include depression and a form of an
eating disorder, such as bulimia or anorexia. Therefore, in order to prevent these
issues, children should not be participating in these beauty pageants.
Society is clearly moving in the direction that beauty pageants are harmful to
children. In France, legislators are close to passing into law a bill that would fine
and even jail organizers and parents who allow their children to be involved in
beauty pageants. Leading French politicians have advocated for this law as it is their
belief that beauty pageants promote the hyper-sexualization of minors. (Healy).
And although a complete ban on children beauty pageants does not seem likely in
America, it is clear that there is a push from the state level to impose more
restrictions and rules on these events (Healy).
Americans clearly have an interest in these child beauty pageants as
witnessed by the television success of the show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on TLC.
Other shows such as Toddlers and Tiaras also bear witness to this. Yet these reality
shows are geared towards the viewing public and only document the positive
aspects of these child beauty pageants. The negative aspects are not shown for
obvious reasons.
In conclusion, children should not be participating in these beauty pageants as
they are harmful to their mental health and self-esteem. Children participating in
Steger

5
these beauty pageants obtain the delusional idea that they must be perfect in
order to succeed in life, which is not, in any way, true. Children are told, either
directly or indirectly, to value their physical appearance over all other aspects. This
mental attitude is clearly faulty and is an unfortunate consequence of child beauty
pageants. Child beauty pageants do not contribute to the overall development of a
child and therefore must be questioned as to their value. Children are vulnerable
and their minds must be nurtured in a positive manner.
















Steger

6




Works Cited
Agadoni, Laura. How Do Child Beauty Pageants Affect a Child's Development?
Globalpost.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 7 May 2014.
Cartwright, Martina. What Child Beauty Pageants Teach Girls About Self-Worth and
What We Can Do About It. Journal of American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry.com. N.p., 10 August 2012. Web. 7 May 2014.
Critchley Cheryl. Kid Beauty Pageants are Creepy. SIRS.com. N.p., 7 April 2010.
Web. 7 May 2014.
Healy, Michelle. Could Child Beauty Pageants be Banned in the USA? USA
today.com. N.p., 25 September 2013. Web 7 May 2014.
Phang, Yii-Huei. Child Beauty Pageants: Why Should We Condone Them?
Huffingtonpost.com. N.p., 30 January 2013. Web. 7 May 2014.
Wallace, Kelly. French Moving to Ban Child Beauty Pageants: Should We?
CNN.com. N.p., 19 September 2013. Web. 7 May 2014.
Witkin, Georgia. KidStress: What It Is, How It Feels, How to Help. New York: Viking,
1999. Print.