Australia’s Leading Experts on Children & Teenagers in one Event

The American Psychological Association (APA) recently formed a task force which produced a report on the sexualisation of girls through the media and other cultural messages.

The report also included information for parents, carers and teachers on how they can help young women become aware of the sexualised imagery and messages that are presented by the media.

According to the APA, sexualisation occurs when any of these factors are present:

• a person’s value comes only from their sexual appeal or behaviour, to the exclusion of other characteristics;
• a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness with being sexy;
• a person is sexually objectified – made into a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making; and
• sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a (young) person.

The last point (the inappropriate imposition of sexuality) is especially relevant to children, when children are imbued with adult sexuality; it is often imposed upon them rather than chosen by them.

Sexualisation of girls
The report found that nearly every type of mass media had examples of the sexualisation of women, including television, music videos, music lyrics, movies, magazines, sports media, video games, the Internet and advertising.

Research found that generally women were more often portrayed in a sexual manner than men (e.g., dressed in revealing clothing, with bodily postures or facial expressions that imply sexual readiness) and objectified (e.g., used as a decorative object, or as body parts rather than a whole person).

The report also documented the sexualisation of girls in advertisements (e.g. the Skechers “naughty and nice” ad that featured Christina Aguilera dressed as a schoolgirl in pigtails, with her shirt unbuttoned, licking a lollipop), dolls (e.g. Bratz dolls dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and feather boas), clothing (thongs sized for 7– to 10-year-olds, some printed with slogans such as “wink wink”), and television programs (e.g. a televised fashion show in which adult models in lingerie were presented as young girls).

It also found that many young girls were unintentionally sexualising themselves by thinking of themselves in objectified terms. Many girls modelled themselves on the celebrities portrayed by the media; wanting to look sexy and physically appealing, often by wearing inappropriate clothing.

Consequences of the sexualisation of girls
The report found that emotionally the sexualisation and objectification of young girls undermined their confidence in and comfort with their own body, leading to many negative emotions including shame, anxiety, and even self-disgust.

Research also linked sexualisation to the 3 most common mental health problems suffered by girls: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.

It noted that for young men, the sexualisation of girls could make it difficult for some men to find an “acceptable” partner or to fully enjoy intimacy with a female partner (e.g., Schooler & Ward, 2006). This in turn could lead to increased rates of sexual harassment and sexual violence; and an increased demand for child pornography.

Positive alternatives to the sexualisation of girls
The report recommended the introduction of school-based media literacy training programs to combat the influence of sexualisation.  It also indicated that organized religious and other ethical instructions could offer girls important practical and psychological alternatives to the values conveyed by popular culture.

What can parents do?
The report encouraged parents to:

• teach girls to value themselves for who they are, rather than how they looked
• teach boys to value girls as friends, sisters, and girlfriends, rather than as sexual objects, and
• advocate for change with manufacturers and media producers.

How can parents help?:
Tune in - Watch TV and movies together. Get to know their world. Ask questions. “Why is there so much pressure on girls to look a certain way?” “What do you like most about the girls you want to spend time with?” “Do these qualities matter more than how they look?” Really listen to what your kids tell you.
Speak up – support campaigns, companies, and products that promote positive images of girls. Complain to manufacturers, advertisers, television and movie producers and retail stores when products sexualize girls.
Understand - young people often feel peer pressure. Help them make wise choices among the trendy alternatives. Remind girls that who they are and what they can accomplish is more important than how they look.
Encourage - highlight talents, skills and abilities over physical appearance. Encourage them to develop interests and get involved in a sport or other activity.
Educate - discuss media, peer and cultural influences on sexual behaviours and decisions, talk about how to make safe choices and what makes healthy relationships. Find out what their school teaches.
Be real - help them focus on what’s really important: what they think, feel, and value. Help them build strengths that will allow them to achieve their goals and develop into healthy adults.

Finally the report recommended that schools, parents and other caregivers, community-based youth and parenting organisations, and local business and service organisations encourage positive activities that help adolescents build nurturing connections with peers and enhance self-esteem based on their abilities and character rather than on their appearance.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: American Psychological Association

70,000 Australians are reported victims of alcohol related assaults every year
24,000 women are victims of alcohol related domestic violence assaults
20,000 children are victims of alcohol-related child abuse

The Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AER Foundation) recently commissioned a new report The Range and Magnitude of Alcohol’s Harm to Others, which has just been published.

The AER is a unique, independent, not-for-profit organisation with a goal to change the way we drink.

The Range and Magnitude of Alcohol’s Harm to Others report was carried out by the AER Centre for Alcohol Policy Research in Melbourne. It offers an insight into how individual acts of alcohol misuse affect both families and communities.

Young Australians bear the brunt of the negative effects of drinking by others, with young women suffering the most when a person they were in a relationship with misused alcohol.

According to The Range and Magnitude of Alcohol’s Harm to Others report, young people aged 18-29 years were three times more likely to be affected by the drinking of someone they knew compared with older people and they were also twice as likely to be affected by strangers.

AER Foundation Director Professor Ian Webster said: “We often talk about young people as being part of the problem when it comes to alcohol-related harms. But we now know that they are one of the most vulnerable groups in our community when it comes to the impact of others’ drinking.”

He added “Much more needs to be done to support our young people, particularly young women, to prevent them from being negatively affected by our current problematic drinking culture.”

As part of the report, the Alcohol’s Harm to Others survey* also found that young people aged 18-29 years were more likely to experience harm from the drinking of strangers by:
• Being forced or pressured into sexual activity
• Being physically abused
• Encountering trouble or noise related to a licensed venue
• Having to avoid places where drinkers are known to hang out
• Being involved in a traffic accident
• Being verbally abused and threatened
• Getting into a serious argument
• Feeling unsafe in a public place and public transport
• Having their property or personal belongings damaged

Nearly 75% of both men and women aged 18-29 years who had been negatively affected in the last year by the drinking of a family member or friend said they also had to spend time looking after that person as a result of their drinking (cleaning up after them, driving them somewhere, caring for them or their children).

The survey found that 46% of young women who lived with a drinker would need to care for that person as a result of their drinking habits. They were also likely to experience verbal abuse from that person, which could also lead to cases of domestic violence.

The 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that younger men were more likely than women to experience verbal and physical abuse, while both younger and older women were more likely to be put in fear by someone affected by alcohol.

“We need to be asking what we can do to ensure that the whole community is protected from these harms. Now more than ever alcohol policy development is supported by a sound evidence base that shows which strategies are effective in reducing alcohol-related harms.” said Professor Webster.

He concluded “Significant policy reform is required in alcohol taxation, advertising and sponsorship restrictions, and limiting the availability of alcohol to protect young people.”

The report found the hidden cost of harms caused by someone else’s drinking brings the total economic impact of alcohol misuse in Australia to $36 billion annually, more than double previous estimates.

*Alcohol’s Harm to Others is a national survey completed in 2008 of more than 2,600 Australians aged 18 years or older conducted by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Alcohol Education & Rehabilitation Foundation

Kids Free 2B Kids  

This website was started as part of a grass roots campaign to apply pressure to the mass media, current cultural trends and manufacturers that are exposing children to inappropriate sexualised imagery as they try to sell products and make profit. Kids Free 2B Kids is in alliance with The Australian Council on Children and the Media.  (Formerly Young Media Australia).
 
The American Psychological Association describes the sexualisation of someone as being when “a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness with being sexy” and  “a person is sexually objectified – that is, made into a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making.”

Kids Free 2B Kids is full of the latest information and research regarding the effect this kind of exposure has on children and young people including:

• How children are portrayed in advertising: What they wear, how they’re posed?
• The images children are exposed to in their environment:  Billboards, magazines, internet, TV?
• The toys, dolls and games children play with?
• Exposure to adult sexual images that a child is not developmentally ready to absorb?

The website includes a section on how to complain to the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) if you feel an advertisement, music video clip or free to air TV program features the sexualisation of young people.

Childhood is recognised as a time of innocence, playfulness, fun and spontaneity. Children should be able to develop at their own pace, without undue pressure and influence from mass media marketing and advertising.

Julie Gale, founder and Director of Kids Free 2B Free believes that parents, carers and teachers try to provide an environment in which children can develop to their full potential. It is a time when children can be free to explore their world through play, spontaneity and innocent fun.  Children should be able to grow at their own pace, without the pressure and influences of the mass media, marketing and advertisers.

Recent international and Australian studies have highlighted the significant impact that the sexualisation of children in advertising and marketing campaigns is having on children’s physical and psychological health.

Dr Joe Tucci of the Australian Childhood Foundation said “children continue to be exposed to a whole range of sexual imagery that normalizes sexuality for them, and in that process, I think there are some long term consequences to children and to childhood in Australia.”

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Kids Free 2B Kids

25% of African American girls reach puberty by 7 years old
15% of Hispanic American girls reach puberty by 7 years old
10% of white American girls reach puberty by 7 years old

A new American study published in the journal Pediatrics has found that girls are growing breasts and reaching puberty as early as 7 years old. The study was carried out by a research team at the Cincinnati children’s hospital, drawing on girls from East Harlem in New York, Cincinnati and San Francisco.

The team took 1,239 girls with Hispanic, African American and Caucasian backgrounds aged between 6 and 8 years old.
Experts are concerned about the effects that the early onset of puberty may have on the girls’ lives later on.

This effect on both their physical and emotional well-being is yet to be fully determined but research has shown that girls who physically develop at an early age are more likely to suffer from body image issues, low self esteem, an increased probability of eating disorders and depression.

Many of these girls are not emotionally or mentally ready to enter the world of ‘teenagers’ and they can find themselves out of their depths and engaging in sexual experiences at an earlier age.

Author and Generation Next speaker Maggie Hamilton said the implications of early puberty can have an enormous impact on young girls lives “life can be doubly hard for girls who physically mature early, because they sometimes look or act more mature than they are. Early-maturing girls are also more likely to interpret what they see in the media as approving of teens having sex.”

She added “As girls are physically maturing young and becoming more articulate, it’s easy for parents and teachers to forget that emotionally they’re still very young. The increasing influence of peers and popular culture on their behaviour and attitudes heightens their vulnerability. It’s a difficult balance for these teen wannabes, because while they don’t want to be seen as kids, they still have a lot of growing up to do”.

She concluded that “how girls approach puberty can have a huge impact on their ongoing self-esteem”.

Comparisons with studies conducted in 1997 show that the number of white girls who have developed breasts by the age of 7 years old has now doubled.

Similar results were also found in a European study conducted by the University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen Denmark in 2009. The report Recent Decline in Age at Breast Development: The Copenhagen Puberty Study, found that the onset of puberty (defined as the age at attainment of glandular breast tissue) occurred in many girls by the age of 9.86 years in 2006 as compared with 10.88 years of age in 1991.

Experts say that there are many factors contributing to the onset of early puberty in girls including food additives, pollution, underactive thyroid glands and chemicals known as endocrine disruptors that act on hormones to change bodily functions.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald. Journal “Pediatrics”

Since 2005 there has been a bus doing the rounds in Oakleigh displaying a near naked reclining woman in high heels, her legs stretch almost the full length of the side of the bus. This is the long running advertisement for the Kittens School of Striptease.

In 2005 the advertising regulator didn’t even bat an eye lid over this ad. Luckily things have changed and experts, educators and parents alike are more aware of the harmful effects images like this can have on young people.

Back then the ASB said the images were not “overly graphic” and did not expose the breast “in any way”.

According to the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) chief executive Fiona Jolly the bureau was different 5 years ago “Issues such as the sexualisation of children are an issue now, but they weren’t an issue in the mainstream media five years ago,” she said.

Maggie Hamilton author of “What’s Happening to Our Girls?” and Generation Next  speaker said “If sexy’s where it’s at, then that’s what some girls will aim for. Knowing this, advertisers push the importance of girls being sexy.”

She added “The interest in being sexy may seem harmless enough, were it not for the fact that the sexualisation of girls is taking its toll. ‘What troubles me is that it’s like girls don’t feel they have any rights’ one young teacher confessed. ‘It’s like they want to be objects to be desired.’ This in your face sexuality is present in almost every form of media”.

5 years on and the ABS has finally reviewed the advertisement and with the pressure of changing community attitudes, led by  campaigners like Kids Free 2B Kids, it has decided that the ad is indeed sexually suggestive and could expose children to sexual themes.

Kids Free 2B Kids Director and Generation Next speaker, Julie Gale, was delighted with the turn around by the ASB. “It is a good thing that the ASB are getting up to speed with how children are being impacted by adult sexualised imagery,” she said.

The Kids Free 2B Kids website has a dedicated page Who Controls Ads to help people wishing to complain to the ASB should they feel an advertisement (print or TV) is overtly sexual or depicts sexual exploitation.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Herald Sun, Kids Free 2B Kids

It is expected that by 2012 Australia will be the first country in the world to impose generic packaging on tobacco companies.

At the same time there is a push to force tobacco companies to be more up-font about the content of their products.

There are growing concerns among anti-tobacco campaigners that menthol is increasingly being used as a “mild anaesthetic” to line the throat of a smoker so they cannot feel the full impact of the harmful effects of the tobacco that is being in-hailed.

Menthol could make smoking more addictive and attractive to younger smokers as it has the effect of cooling the throat.

Similarly, according to Professor Simon Chapman of Sydney University, tobacco companies are adding chemicals such as ammonia to their products under the guise of “processing aids”. Ammonia speeds up the rate that nicotine infiltrates the brain which in turn could encourage addition.

Professor Chapman, who was the 2008 NSW Premier’s Cancer Researcher of the Year, said companies ”cover up the secret formula of their brands”. He has urged the federal government to insist that companies show all ingredients contained in their products.

”The real issue here is whether it is sensible to allow tobacco companies to add ingredients that will make tobacco products more palatable to young smokers when they’re first starting off,” he said.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Online counselling is another way to get help for depression and anxiety.

There are many self-help internet-based programs available in Australia that are aimed at helping people better manage depression, anxiety and related illnesses.  To help people find these programs and services, beyondblue: the national depression initiative has put together a directory of e-mental Health Services and Therapies.

Deputy CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative, Dr Nicole Highet says online e-therapy may be an effective alternative for people with depression and anxiety who can’t or won’t access help from mental health professionals. 

“We know that more than half of all Australians with depression and anxiety don’t get the help they need for a range of reasons. There may be a lack of services in their area, they may not be able to afford the consultation fees or perhaps they’re embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help.  

“Online counselling gives people the opportunity to log onto a computer, in the privacy of their homes and work through various programs which will teach them how to identify and take control of negative and unhelpful thought patterns which underpin conditions like depression and anxiety. The beauty of these programs is that not only are many of them free, but people can choose to remain anonymous,” she said.

Dr Highet said online therapy for example, could help someone who has an anxiety disorder.  “It is common for someone with anxiety to view situations as being more dangerous than they are in reality. For example, a person afraid of flying will be obsessed with the possibility of the plane crashing, even though in reality they know this is highly unlikely. This would cause the person to feel extremely anxious and overwhelmed throughout the trip or the person may avoid plane travel altogether, which could impact negatively on work commitments or family life.”

Dr Highet said, similarly, people with depression view themselves and their situations negatively.

“People could consult a health professional to learn how to manage these thoughts and bring these feelings under control through talking therapies like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). But if you can’t or don’t want to talk about these problems with a health professional face-to-face, you can go to the e-mental Health Directory on the beyondblue website to link to a range of e-mental health services in Australia.  The directory lists 36 services and includes information on how to access these services and utilise the information and treatments.”

“These online therapies are showing great promise and are proving to be an effective alternative to face-to-face treatments for anxiety disorders and/or depression,” Dr Highet added.

 Get help at www.beyondblue.org.au/ementalhealthdirectory or ring the beyondblue info line on 1300 22 4636.

Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha

Soruce: Youthbeyondblue

The new craze being pitched at teenagers is the i-Dose; an audio file that allegedly induces the same kind of experience as drugs. In fact the binaural MP3 audio files even take their names from drugs including; methamphetamine, cocaine, crack, LSD and Crystal Meth.

The files range in strength from the standard ‘heroin’ track to a hardcore track called the “Gates of Hades’ which promises listeners “Smoke and torment. Weeping and gnashing of teeth. Death. Destruction”.

For as little as $U2.75 teenagers can download the audio file and take a trip. This new digital drug culture that is growing in popularity has sinister undertones because it is introducing young people to the drug scene in what seems to be the safety, privacy and comfort of their own home.

Paul Dillon, founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia and Generation Next speaker said “We are seeing drug culture seep more and more into the youth market, where people can make a quick buck. That is a very sad part of this that they are targeting the group most vulnerable – the young who see this as being a cool thing to do.”

The websites are full of jargon synonymous with drugs and loaded with images of pills and chunks of hash. However it is all presented in a way that makes the drug scene look very acceptable and even a normal part of adult life.

According to the “I-Doser” website, they are the “industry leaders in binaural brainwave audio doses (that) powerfully alter your mood” and the i-Dose is a “Safe, effective, and legal alternative to recreational and prescription drugs,” adding “ use of the I-Doser Application and included or purchased doses should be used for entertainment purposes only.”.

But as Paul Dillon points out this is very dangerous form of entertainment because “The earlier you find yourself in that (drug) culture the more problems you are likely to have in the future.”

Experts like Paul Dillon are not concerned so much with the content of the downloads as they are with the drug culture that they support.

The internet is now seeing a whole barrage of adolescents in headphones writhing around on the floor in what looks like agony as they experience an i-Dose.

Traditionally the droning binaural beats based on alpha and delta waves have been used to induce a relaxed state; but here it is being used to ‘mimic’ the effect of hardcore drugs.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Technology), i-Doser

The International Year of Youth is an opportunity to give young people a say in the world around them and how it is being shaped. This is reflected in the theme “Our Year, Our Voice”.

The 2010 International Youth Day celebrated on 12 August also marked the launch of the International Year of Youth. The theme for International Youth Day was ‘Dialogue and Mutual Understanding’, and reflected the value of dialogue among youth from different cultures as well as among different generations.

International Youth Day was celebrated at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York where they also launched the International Year of Youth with an event seen as a celebration of young peoples’ energy, imagination and initiatives. The UN recognised their important contributions to enhancing peace and development and saw the event is an opportunity for both the international community and the UN system to show their ongoing commitment to young people.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon said “Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels.”

Key objectives for the International Year of Youth include:

• Increased commitment and investment in youth
• Increased youth participation and partnerships, and
• Increased intercultural understanding among youth.

It is hoped that schools and youth organisations throughout the world will use this year as an opportunity to guide activities with young people that are related to youth and their issues.

Some of the suggestions for activities include:
Educational radio show - Contact popular local/national radio stations to request a slot to have a discussion with distinguished individuals and youth.
Organize a public meeting or debate - to discuss young people’s contributions to global issues.
Initiate round table discussions – among adults and young people to promote intergenerational understanding.
Organize a youth forum – to exchange ideas and discuss cultural backgrounds in order to help young people accept others and popularize a culture of non-violence.
Organize a concert – to promote International Youth Day and the launch of the Year. Invite your local musicians and combine it with a panel discussion or invite a politician or policy maker to hold the key note speech.
Create an “info point” – about youth-related issues in the centre of town/village, at high schools, or at university centres.
Organize an exhibition – get permission to use a public space for an arts exhibit, which showcases the challenges of young people today or how young people are contributing to development.  Try to involve young people in the domains of culture, arts and music, to raise awareness on youth-related issues.
Write to your Minister of Youth – to inform him or her about the challenges young people face in their daily lives and to suggest solutions.

The International Year of Youth website has lots of information and material to support any ideas and activities. To use the logo for your event, read the guidelines for the logo and fill out the liability waiver form available for download on the site and check the International Year of Youth website for regular updates.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: International Year of Youth

A survey recently conducted by Family Planning NSW and Myspace.com asked over 1,000 young people, aged between 12 and 24 years old, where they went to find out information about reproductive and sexual health including:

• body stuff (puberty)
• how to stop getting pregnant (contraception)
• sex stuff
• Relationships

The outcomes of the survey were released to co-inside with International Youth Day (August 12) with some interesting results.

The survey included over 100 questions and the answers showed that teenagers are more likely to turn to doctors, schools and parents for the technical side of sexual health (‘body stuff’, contraception, pregnancy & STI’s), BUT it is their friends and the internet they go to when it comes to the emotional aspects of a relationship (‘sex stuff’, sexual activities and relationship information).

 A male respondent aged 15 years wrote: 
“I don’t know maybe more to do with feelings and emotional attachments after sex as schools only talk about puberty and avoid sex and friend(s) only talk about how it felt physically.”

The Survey found that:
Friends – were the most commonly used source of information for young people with 43% of respondents calling on their mates for information. 
Sexual activities – 50% turned to their friends for information, while only 20% sought advice from schools and parents.
Contraception – 48% of adolescents went to doctors for information. 38% went to friends first.
The Internet – 30% of young people combined the internet with traditional sources for information about sex, and
Schools & Parents – 25% of the respondents turned to these sources for information.

Dr Deborah Bateson, Medical Director for Family Planning NSW said “the results show that young people seem to have an appropriate level of scepticism when it comes to using the internet for sexual health information.”

“We see this kind of information from young people as hugely valuable,” said Dr Bateson. “It certainly has an impact on the way we provide sexual health education and resources to young people, particularly when it comes to safe sex and healthy relationships.

The survey found that although young people are turning to the internet as a source of information, only 21% felt they trusted the information they found and only 16% of adolescents trusted what they saw or read in the media.

On the question of ‘body stuff’ (puberty and body changes) over 50% of respondents said that they talked to their friends, with 45% checking on the internet and about 33% seeking information from parents and schools.

However when it came to medical information about sexual health nearly 50% of young people said they went to a doctor, while 25% of the participants talked to their parents.

One female respondent, aged 13 wrote: 
“I know alot (sic.) from my mum. She tells me everything I want to know and often tells me them if she thinks I should know. We’re really close but sometimes I can’t bring myself to ask some things. I want to know more about pregnancy and because I’m a virgin- how to have sex. I often feel I’ll be really nervous when the time comes and also, the male mind, what emotions they go through.”

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Family Planning NSW