Advertising. Cinema. Pornography. Over the past several decades, the portrayal of women as sexual objects has become increasingly prevalent in mainstream media.
A recent analysis on the cover images of Rolling Stone magazine revealed an 89% increase in the sexualization of women since the 1960s. "Sexualized portrayals of women have been found to legitimize or exacerbate violence against women and girls, as well as sexual harassment and anti-women attitudes among men and boys," Hatton says. "Such images also have been shown to increase rates of body dissatisfaction and/or eating disorders among men, women and girls; and they have even been shown to decrease sexual satisfaction among both men and women."
Instantaneously available to anyone with internet access, pornography portrays women as objects of exploitation for men and normalizes degrading and forceful sexual acts, desensitizing men to violence against women as discussed by several studies in this exerpt from Diana Russell's book Against Pornography: The Evidence of Harm.
Russell's book details far-reaching consequences of the widespread normalization of sexual objectification and violence in the media. A 1992 study of high school students on rape-supportive beliefs found that a shocking 57% of boys thought it was at least "maybe okay" to hold a girl down and force sex in some situations. Only 21% believed forced sex is never acceptable. Immediately after viewing degrading pornographic material, boys were much more likely to be accepting of sexual violence and minimalize the victim's suffering. Needless to say, after long-term exposure the effects are amplified, men become more likely to agreed with such statements as "many times a woman will pretend she doesn't want to have intercourse because she doesn't want to seem loose, but she's really hoping the man will force her", and "sometimes the only way a man can get a cold woman turned on is to use force". Though sexual assault can occur at all ages, college age women are 4 times more likely to be victims than any other age group. Too often young men justify their forceful sexual behaviors with the erroneous argument that a woman "doesn't really mean no" and "secretly enjoys it". Alternatively, a harasser may justify his actions with a naturalistic fallacy, dismissing his unwanted advances as something beyond his conscious control.
This attitude toward women can have long-term detrimental effects spanning beyond a one-time abusive encounter, as victims of harassment are at risk of objectifying themselves. Women who have been adversely affected by sexual abuse generally have one of two response: a tendency to avoid intimacy completely, or to act out in a hyper-sexual manner. How can this dichotomy be explained? In the former case, a young girl who is exploited may feel she is unfairly devalued to nothing more than a sexual object, and as a result avoids all sexual encounters in an attempt to fight for her value as worthwhile, wholesome human being. On the other side of the coin, it is natural for humans to desire a feeling of significance, value, worthiness, and purpose. If a young girl is led to believe that her only worth is that of a physical nature, she may seek out sexual approval under the erroneous belief that it is the only way she will be loved and valued. These women may become promiscuous or even enter into the adult industry as strippers, escorts, and pornographic entertainers. In effect, the woman has objectified herself.
Indeed, sex sells, and the dehumanization of women has fueled one of the more disturbing practices in the sex industry, the abduction of young girls for sex trafficking; a modern day form of slavery in which girls are forced into prostitution. Read two such stories here.
Clearly, sexualized imagery in the media and the expanding adult industry both have a powerful effect on degrading attitudes and behaviors towards women. As society's depiction of women becomes more superficial, women in turn begin to objectify themselves. Modern culture encourages the sexual objectification of girls from childhood in less explicit ways as well. For example, merchandise for children (clothing, dolls, makeup) often puts an unhealthy focus on a girl's physical appearance, encouraging self-objectification. Girls learn that their value lies in the physical realm and endeavor to tailor their appearance to reflect popular culture and celebrities, drawing sexual attention to themselves at a younger age. As women become more accepting of this value system, not only does it create a risk for depression, eating disorders, and even issues with cognition - it increases the likelihood that they will submit themselves to sexually degradation within relationships and in the workforce.
It is virtually impossible to protect one's children from sexual imagery in a culture whose mainstream media is infiltrated with these images and attitudes. There are emerging modern day risks that parents, teachers, and other caretakers must take into account; a predominant risk being today's internet technology, which makes it entirely feasible for a young child to obtain access to pornography (for example, this article from Psychology Today discusses how such children, unable to process this information in a healthy manner, may act out sexually on their younger siblings or classmates). Certainly it is important that parents are attentive to the media available to their children. But exposure to sexually degrading attitudes rampant in today's society is nearly inevitable, and I believe the best method of protecting children from negative outcomes is to teach them about healthy interpersonal values and gender equality from a young age. It is more vital than ever that today's children and young adults are instilling with with a strong value system that will help them resist the effects of this hyper-sexualized nation.
