Only a generation or two ago, childhood in the United States was understood to be a unique and vulnerable stage of development; a time for play and protection from adult preoccupations and responsibilities. In recent decades however, we appear to have jettisoned these norms, and the lines that separate the lifestyles of even very young children from adults are blurring. As widely known experts on the team that created this book explain, children begin formal education now in preschool, dress like adults, listen to the same music, play the same video games, explore the same Internet sites, and watch explicit depictions of sex and violence on TV and in movies. What is the impact of immersing children in a sexualized world? The Sexualization of Childhood first explains the nature of healthy sexual development. It then describes the ways in which children are being sexualized, and the physical and psychological consequences. It then looks at the lower and lower age at which girls are experiencing puberty, that reduction being fueled by the pseudoestrogens in so many of our foods and products, as well as obesity. Finally, it examines what we can do legally, politically, and as caregivers to protect children from developmentally inappropriate sexual experiences.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"All of the chapters are clearly written and heavily referenced. A valuable addition to the 'Childhood in America' series, which Olfman edits…Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers."
-Choice
"Although this volume is intended for nonacademic readers, it is worth the purchase price for the voluminous footnotes.
The authors are a diverse group who present ample evidence for their arguments. . . . I also read this as a mother and found it helpful as a launching pad for conversations I had been putting off."
-Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
"The volume fully brings to one place the best and worst examples of the sexualization of children, and many chapters review up-to-date research."
-PsycCRITIQUES
Review
"This outstanding collection of essays, written by an eminent group of scholars and experts, reveals an alarming new danger to children--routine exposure to frighteningly toxic ideas about sex and sexuality. What harm does this cause to children, the adults they become, and society? That is the central question addressed by this book, and the answers it provides, always through rigorous research and cogent analyses, suggest we should be very concerned. The book is essential reading for anyone who cares about the fate of children--and of society as a whole."
(Joel Bakan, Professor of Law, University of British Columbia
)
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Graphic, at times, insightful book on serious subject from a variety of perspectives,
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This review is from: The Sexualization of Childhood (Childhood in America) (Hardcover)
Sharna Olfma is skilled at bringing together ideas from various angles to present her case in point, the, serious, sexualizing of children in America. This book gets graphic at times, which helps you to see just how bad things can get in the U.S., in terms of sexually exploiting children. It delves into the world of pornography, and how the internet promotes child pornography, creating a seemless flow from adult pornography to child, which is a very fine line, which is purposely vague. Teen sex sites are actually pseudonyms for child pornography. This is a very insightful point. Legislatures should read this book. If you are concerned with this subject, buy a copy for your Mayor, Representatives, Senator, Governor, etc.The sexualizing of children is very subtle. Britney Spears is a good case in point, with her sexy-girly video, which is an example of pushing us to view children as sex objects. Many examples are promoted such as this. A book of value, a book that might stir otherwise complacent persons into action. The book is edited by Olfman, but it is compiled from the writings of various experts on the subject and closely related subjects. (Sometimes the book is too graphic, I skimmed and skipped one section). A side not on this, children who have been abused are more likely to be incorrectly labeled and medicated. This is a tragedy of the current mental health system.
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