sexualisation of children

If you haven't been following the debate on sexualisation of children in contemporary media in Australia you may want to go here to see the senate report released June 26 2008. Or go here to jump straight to the recommendations.

This is an important debate particularly since one of the recommendations is the provision of comprehensive sexual health and relationshiups education for ALL australian children.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NYDC Beauty Editor: Making thin lips look fuller is one of the easiest beauty problems to solve; the right makeup can work wonders on your pout. Tell us how you get soft, kissable lips. We want to know!!! ( advertisement from the 'Dolly Beauty Blog from Dolly online magazine) - I believe this type of blog/advertising/comment adds to the sexualisation of children as Dolly is directed at teens-and read by girls much younger - Lud)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


As an example here is an extract from Section 3: Effects of premature sexualisation of children:

Harms associated with sexualising and objectifying images

Body image and self-esteem
3.31 The committee received a considerable amount of evidence claiming that there is:
...[a] connection between the inappropriate sexualising of children and measurable harm, such as body image dissatisfaction, eating disorders, low self-esteem, poorer academic performance, depression and anxiety.[32]
3.32 The WFA, citing the APA report on the sexualisation of girls, submitted:
...exposure to ideals of sexual attractiveness contributes to body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders...[Sexualisation] was linked with three of the most common mental health problems in girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression or depressed mood.[33]
3.33 Ms Melinda Tankard Reist, Director, WFA, offered the following statistics on rates of eating disorders amongst Australian girls:
...we know that one in 100 adolescent girls in Australia develops anorexia, which is the third most common chronic illness for adolescent girls in Australia and the most fatal of all psychiatric illnesses. We know that one in five are bulimic...A study published late last year found that one in five girls aged 12 and 13 regularly uses fasting and vomiting to lose weight and that fasting was the most widely practised diet technique for girls aged 12 to 19.[34]
3.34 WFA believed that this was connected to the 'overemphasis of hyper-sexualised imagery of girls and women that makes young women feel particularly bad about themselves'.[35]
3.35 Ms Gordon reported that, in her experience as a practising psychologist, she had observed increasingly younger children presenting with body-image and self-esteem disorders, which she felt was the consequences of their 'overt sexualisation':
I see girls younger and younger becoming depressed. We see girls younger and younger being hospitalised with eating disorders and with concerns about their body and their self-esteem.[36]
3.36 Professor Elizabeth Handsley, Vice President, Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM), explained that, apart from the greater general exposure of children to sexual imagery, ACCM was most concerned about the potential harms arising from 'how children are represented to themselves'. She explained:
We look around and we see images of children that are sexualised, not in the sense that they make children into sexual objects in the normal sense, but more that they associate children with the trappings of adult sexuality. So they do not necessarily make children sexual objects but they engender a self-image within children that is associated with sexual objectification.[37]


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


One more by me : How is this article from online cosmopolitan

"Miley 'regrets' topless photos But they've made her 'more relatable'

Miley Cyrus has spoken up about that topless photo, saying that the scandal has made her 'more relatable.'The 15-year-ol star of Hannah Montana appeared in Vanity Fair in march, topless but for a bedsheet covering her."I was embarrassed," Cyrus told Billboard magazine. "But it's also like, every career thing that I do can't be perfect, and sometimes my decisions are wrong. I think that just makes me more relatable."Cyrus admits that she regrets taking the photos."

How can it be that this 15 year old is getting the BLAME for what she did. - How abouit Vanity Fair coming out and saying " I am sorry that we sexualise children, we will never do it again" How about the photographer saying " I took a highly sexual photograph of a 15 year old - I will never do it again" - The lack of responsibility that people take for thier actions is just astounding!!!

Photoshop disasters

This is a site that will convince you that NOTHING is real in media. It has lots of people identifying advertisements that have been photoshopped to death. Here is an example.
Believe it or no9t this is the same person!!


http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/

Scored - cool sexual health program

This looks like a neat program that i read about in medical news today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113136.php

"Scored, a project run by the Birmingham Young People's Health Project which uses football to educate young people about sexual health and relationships is the winner of the 2008 Pamela Sheridan Award for excellence in sex and relationships education (SRE). The Scored project ran a 12 week course for eleven young people aged between 13 and 18. Using football and practical sessions young people were given information to make choices about their sexual health and were encouraged to look at their decision making and communication skills. Scored used football and the association of fair play 'on and off' the field to look at a range of topics including the responsibilities of sexual health, body changes, contraception and sexually transmitted infections. These sessions were followed by football training with a qualified coach helping them develop team building skills and fitness. "

What would you do?

This is something that happened to me the other day: I have been thinking about it alot. I wonder what I should have or could have done.

I was taking the train into town from work. As with all the other people I waited at the train station for the 4.16 to arrive. It was cold outside and most people were shivering from the cold east wind that blows straight down the platform. When the train arrived we shuffled quickly into the carriage, all of us looking for an unoccupied seat. The carriage itself was already relatively crowded - most of the double or triple seats already had at least one person taking up space. I found a seat at the back and proceeded to study the other occupants - careful not to catch thier eyes. There were at least 25 people scattered throughout the carriage. Just next to me across the aisle were two guys that looked like uni students, laden with books and engaged in conversation. Further up were people of all ages and cultures. Almost at the furthest end away from me, near the front was a very young woman - perhaps 17 but certainly no more than 20. She had a pram in front of her and kept looking daggers at a child of about 4 that was walking slowly up the aisle. Suddenly she exploded in a tirade of abuse at the child.

" Get back here you filthy slut. I'm gonna fkn smash you if you dont come back"

The little girl kept walking towards me. I smiled at her and she smiled tenuously back.

The young woman with the pram yelled again. " I told you get back here or i'll put you off the train and welfare can have you. Nobody wants you anyway you little cnt. Get back here now".

All this time not one person one the train spoke up. All eyes were on the floor. So were mine mostly. I felt appalled for the little girl but also wished that I wasn't even there. How dare this young mother upset our ride home from work with this uncouth display of bad behaviour!

As the tirade continued I started to fear for the immediate safety of the little girl. The mother got more and more suggestive of the physical harm that she would inflict on the girl until finally the mother got up and looked like she was going to hit the child. At this stage I jumped up and went to sit right next to the young mother - I didnt know what else to do. All I wanted to do was distract her and let her know that the people on the train DID see what was happening, even if no-one acknowledged it.

It turned out the woman was 19. She had been living on the streets for the past 3 months.She had nowhere to go and was clearly way beyond the point of rational thought. For her life was just about where to sleep and how to eat each day and night. Her little girl bore the brunt of all the stress and fear. I offered the young mum a meal and respite for an hour or so of watching her child. She turned it down. I offered help trying to find a place to sleep for the night. She turned it down. I spoke on behalf of her child explaining my fear and sadness to be a part of this. She looked at me like I was crazy.

I sat with the woman and her child for the rest of the trip into town - a 12 minute journey.

When the train arrived the young mum sat her child in the pram and raced away. I quickly lost them in the crowd even though I tried to follow them with my eyes.

Now I think about them every day. I hold grave fears for the little girl. I hold sadness for the mum. I hold anger for all the other people on the train that did nothing. I hold shame that I did nothing but talk and I wonder what should I have done? What will I do next time?

Female Wet Dreams

I stumbled across some useful information relating to female wet dreams last week.

In 1953, Alfred Kinsey, Ph.D., the famous sexuality researcher, found that nearly 40 percent of the 5,628 women he interviewed experienced at least one nocturnal orgasm (orgasms during sleep), or "wet dream," by the time they were forty-five years old.

A smaller study published in the Journal of Sex Research in 1986 found that 85 percent of the women who had experienced nocturnal orgasms had done so by the age of twenty-one... some even before they turned thirteen. In addition, women who have orgasms during sleep usually have them several times a year.

Dr. Kinsey and his colleagues defined female nocturnal orgasm as sexual arousal during sleep that awakens one to perceive the experience of orgasm.

Girls and women who don't have orgasms in their sleep, or who don't know whether or not they've had them, are perfectly normal. It may be easier for men to identify their wet dreams because of the "ejaculatory evidence." Vaginal secretions could be a sign of sexual arousal without orgasm.

Press here to read more.

This information is on a website called Go Ask Alice - Columbia University's Health Q&A Internet Service, have a look around - there are some great questions answered.

Restoring the hyman to appear a virgin

The following is an extract from an article in medical news today' http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111107.php

'An increasing number of Muslim women living in Europe are seeking hymenoplasties to restore the hymen, the vaginal membrane that often breaks during the first act of intercourse, in an effort to prove virginity prior to marriage, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, Muslim women who are not virgins often are unable to marry and can face abuse from male relatives. In addition, young Muslim women often are "caught between the freedoms European society affords and the deep-rooted traditions of the parents' and grandparents' generations," the Times reports.'

I don't know about you but it seems that there are just sooo many barriers to sexual health and freedom that it sometimes gets me down. Why so much emphasis on virginity? why so much emphasis on intercourse? why so much abuse of women by men? ....and before you say " yeah but that article is about Muslim women!" what about this dumb page from catholic exchange saying that 'the pill' kills babies.....
http://www.catholicexchange.com/2008/05/08/112400/

HOW STUPID IS THIS PICTURE: How about a catch line like " Fathers

teach your children to love and be loved: To grow up happy and healthy as citizens of a better world??

Lets stop this crap and put our efforts where they belong - -ensuring that all people have health and happiness!!!!!

A mother dies every minute in childbirth

Across the world a mother dies every minute in childbirth or pregnancy this cannot be allowed to continue. Her children may face an earlier death once they have lost their mother and the family can be torn apart as the father tries to both provide for his children and care for them, according to the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (PGPD).

Mothers are dying because they do not have access to family planning; this is not about providing abortions in countries where it is illegal but providing full access to family planning and education about unsafe abortion and where abortion is legal, to safe abortion. Currently no Australian Government aid funds can be spent on providing information on unsafe or safe abortion (even where abortion is legal) and this deters humanitarian and aid organisations from providing comprehensive family planning services. Australia is the only country other than the US to limit overseas aid funds in this way and if there is a Democrat victory in the US and the so called US Global Gag is removed, Australia will be the only country to do so. The current guidelines are in conflict with Australia's commitment to the World Health Organisation protocols and the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action.

This isn't something we should keep quiet about. As we live and work in a culture that at least debates the issue of abortion - many people are losing out on a basic right to have control over thier own bodies; and in a way that can literally mean life or death; or poverty or opression. You might think that this statistic has nothing to do with you BUT every debate, every step forward here in Australia for compltete relationships and sexuality education - including abortion options is a step forward for EVERYONE no matter where they live.

REMEMBER>>>

To read more of this media release from the Parlimatrian Group on Population and Development go here

Swearing -taboo words

Have a read of this fantastic article " Warning: Contains Coarse Language" from the Weekend Australian Magazine june 7-8 2008. It is very interesting and is a great background for talking to people about words that we consider ( or don't consider) offensive. Below are 2 quotes from the article.

"Our preoccupation with these taboos produces a vast array of alternative words – Allan and Burridge estimate English has 1000 expressions for penis, 1200 for vagina, 800 for copulation and 2000 for wanton woman. “When people say they don’t swear, of course they swear,” says Burridge. “They use remodelled swear words. Golly, gosh, heck. They’re remodelled from something stronger.”

"Disguising sexual words has also been practised for a long time. There’s effing (1929) and frigging (1785) for f..k; shucks (1847) and shoot (1934) for shit – a word that dates back at least 1000 years. There’s the quaint firkytoodle for foreplay. Then there is rhyming slang, some of which has been shortened so it loses any obvious association. A kick in the Khyber (Pass) is probably well known still, but who would remember that to be called a berk was originally to be called the c-word (from Berkeley Hunt, an English country hunt)? “Puck you,” was Jonah’s euphemism in the ABC’s Summer Heights High. Pinker argues there’s an ancient reflex to swear. It can be deeply satisfying, he says, and may go back to an old mammalian “rage reflex”. It’s like a good howl. As well, he says we know that to use swear words gets attention, because they create an emotional response in the listener. The reason is that we appear to store swear words in a part of the brain separate to other speech, or at least to access them differently. Burridge says taboo words go with a red-flag to the limbic part of the brain, more attuned to emotions than analytical thinking. And our bodies react to them in a very different way than to other language. Our brains more readily remember them and are distracted by them, and our skin goose-pimples on hearing them. “Forbidden words are more arousing, more shocking, more memorable and more evocative than all other language stimuli,” Burridge says. "

This is so pertinant in the sexual health training that I do with workers AND young people as it takes sooo long to desinsitise ourselves enough to talk openly about sexual health issues.

Mens Counselling - Start using it

FOR PEOPLE IN ADELAIDE

Recently I received this email:

"Hello all,
we have quite a few appointment spaces for our men's counselling services at both Morphett Vale and Hindmarsh, and a majority of these are free apts, please consider referring clients etc to our men's program. Please pass onto your networks as widely as possible.Thanks"

Regards,

Jim Roden
Men's Worker, Families in Focus

AnglicareSA
Family Centre South
197 South Rd
Morphett Vale 5162

PH : (08) 8392 3106
Fax: (08) 8392 3150

MEN’S COUNSELLING
Practical man to man advice and support

WHERE: ANGLICARE
197 South Rd
Morphett Vale
(Cnr. Conington Tce.)

And 184 Port Road
Hindmarsh (near the post office)

For an appointment at either office Please call: 8392 3100

So go on: Lets start using this much needed service

Marie Stopes Resources

Marie Stopes International produces a range of resources for healthcare professionals and clients, including brochures, multilingual information sheets on our services and research reports. These can be downloaded via PDF by clicking on the relevant topic below or clicking on the image.

Another site with some great resources on it, my favourite being the Richard range of posters - all promoting the use of condoms - they are gold!

Chris.

SE&X course online pilot

ShineSA has decided to find a way to bring its courses to rural and remote south Australia. To this end SHineSA is going to pilot its Sexuality Exploration and Xpression (SE&X) course in a fully online environment. This is a course for youth workers, community health workers and others that work with young people at risk.

If you are a youth worker or community health worker and live in a rural or remote part of South Australia and would like to be part of this pilot, and have access to the internet then please contact Lud Allen at lud.allen@health.sa.gov.au

The course will consist of 12 sessions each approximately 3 hours long. You will be using your computer to interact with other course participants and the facilitators in REAL TIME. The course is designed to be interactive and fun as well as confronting and real.

The topics covered will be:

• attitudes to sexuality


• diversity


• homophobia


• what is sexual health


• assault and abuse


• STIs


• contraception


• anatomy and physiology


• working with young men


• working with young women


• negotiating sexual health needs


• sexual health counselling
  

The course consists of two units from the certificate IV Community Services and there is some offline componant involved.

We only have space for 8 participants in this pilot so PLEASE get in quick: All participants will be supported and given instruction on how to use the online classroom well before the pilot starts.

Hope to hear from you soon

WEB GAME WITH A MESSAGE DEBUNKS H.I.V. MYTHS

The site, http://www.posornot.com/, introduced in late April, is an H.I.V. education effort disguised as a game.

It shows photographs and brief biographies of men and women ages 21 to 30, and asks visitors to decide whether each is H.I.V. positive or negative.

The message is that you can’t judge someone’s virus status by looks, occupation or taste in music.

What do you think?

YOUNG PEOPLE AND ORAL SEX- ONLINE SURVEY

FPNSW and FAR Social Enterprise are conducting research into young people and oral sex. An on-line survey for 16-25 year old young people is available at http://www.fpahealth.org.au/osyp-survey.html.

The aim of the research is to gather information on issues surrounding oral sex and young people. The specific objectives are to review (1) the contexts in which oral sex occurs, (2) young people’s thinking and feelings about oral sex, and (3) how young people access information about oral sex.

A confidential report will be produced from the survey answers.

If you know any young people that might like to fill it in, please let them know.

Two heads are better than one: the association between condom decision-making and condom use errors and problems

I thought that this article about condom use and common errors may be of interest. It concludes that involving a partner in the decision making and use of condoms can ultimately make it a safer experience. As we say, 2 heads are better than 1!

Abstract Below:
Objectives: This exploratory study compared the frequency of condom use errors and problems between men reporting that condom use for penile–vaginal sex was a mutual decision compared with men making the decision unilaterally.

Methods: Nearly 2000 people completed a web-based questionnaire. A sub-sample of 660 men reporting that they last used a condom for penile–vaginal sex (within the past three months) was analysed. Nine condom use errors/problems were assessed. Multivariate analyses controlled for men’s age, marital status, and level of experience using condoms.

Results: Men’s unilateral decision-making was associated with increased odds of removing condoms before sex ended,breakage, and slippage during withdrawal. Men’s self-reported level of experience using condoms was significantly associated with seven out of nine errors/problems, with those indicating less experience consistently reporting more errors/problems.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that female involvement in the decision to use condoms for penile–vaginal sex may be partly protective against some condom errors/problems. Men’s self-reported level of experience using condoms may be a useful indicator of the need for education designed to promote the correct use of condoms. Education programmes may benefit men by urging them to involve their female partner in condom use decisions.

R Crosby1,2,3, R Milhausen3,4, S A Sanders2,3, C A Graham2,6, W L Yarber2,3,5
http://sti.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/84/3/198?etoc

This study does focus on heterosexual relationships, I believe there could be similar outcomes and conclusions for same-sex relationships, what do you think?