Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls
Girls are portrayed as sexual at younger ages, pressured to conform to a 'thin, hot, sexy' norm. Clothing, music, magazines, toys and games send girls the message that they are merely the sum of their body parts. The effects of prematurely sexualising girls are borne out in their bodies and minds, with a rise in self-destructive behaviours such as eating disorders and self-harm, along with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
2009 | ISBN 9781876756758 | Paperback | 215 x 140 mm | 224 pages
Girls are portrayed as sexual at younger ages, pressured to conform to a 'thin, hot, sexy' norm. Clothing, music, magazines, toys and games send girls the message that they are merely the sum of their body parts. The effects of prematurely sexualising girls are borne out in their bodies and minds, with a rise in self-destructive behaviours such as eating disorders and self-harm, along with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
2009 | ISBN 9781876756758 | Paperback | 215 x 140 mm | 224 pages
Girls are portrayed as sexual at younger ages, pressured to conform to a 'thin, hot, sexy' norm. Clothing, music, magazines, toys and games send girls the message that they are merely the sum of their body parts. The effects of prematurely sexualising girls are borne out in their bodies and minds, with a rise in self-destructive behaviours such as eating disorders and self-harm, along with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
2009 | ISBN 9781876756758 | Paperback | 215 x 140 mm | 224 pages
Reviews
It's a confronting read, but I think a necessary one to counter-balance the prevalent powers of commercialism.
— Erica Bartle, Girl with a Satchel blog
This book contains far more evidence and insight into the lives of young girls than I could have ever imagined [...] I urge you to read it, digest it and then use all of your strength to stop this before our children get hurt.
Innocence should never be sold or abused.
— Amanda Foxon-Hill, Realize Beauty blog
... the diversity of contributors offers a valuable range of personal and professional insights into an urgent issue and the book will be of great interest to concerned parents and interested readers alike.
— Jo Case, Bookseller & Publisher
Getting Real is frightening, confrontational and above all, a call to arms.
...Does Getting Real provide a light at the end of the tunnel? Are there any immediately identifiable solutions to the issues described? Fortunately, there are.
...a must read for anyone that cares about the future of our children, particularly those who have the power to make a difference...all adults.
— Dr Naomi Crafti, Education Officer, Eating Disorders Victoria
... an incredibly confronting but important book ... It's a terribly bleak but necessary look at how we are eroding what was once the sacred space of childhood with a bombardment of appalling imagery and sexually suggestive ideas aimed at children, particularly at girls.
— Mia Freedman, MamaMia blog
While some of its arguments may be hard to stomach, Getting Real might just be the book which changes the minds of some naysayers.
For others, it will be the cause for some serious soul searching about the current state of girlhood – and even more so, a call to action.— Tamara Hunter, West Australian
Getting Real is impeccably researched and has the air of a new wave of feminism, unwilling to be seduced by the hollow claim that sexual promiscuity will liberate the masses.
— Pauline Cooper, MercatorNet.com
Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls is a necessary and confronting look at consumer targeting of young girls and its adverse effects.
— Bookseller & Publisher
Our modern culture is preoccupied with sexualising the experiences of childhood. Getting Real unmasks the tactics of those who mercilessly target children with messages that confuse and distort their development. It offers insights about how to reclaim childhood and support the critical discourse of children's rights.
— Joe Tucci, CEO, Australian Childhood Foundation
Getting Real is powerful, disturbing, confronting. If we don't challenge what we're beginning to accept as the social norm, the risk to our girls will only continue to grow.
— Melina Marchetta, Author
...it contains a treasure trove of information and should be mandatory reading for all workers with young people in health, education and welfare.
— Michael Carr-Gregg
Every piece in this collection is a gem.
It's hard to single out any one particular piece for mention, but for me personally, Steve Biddulph's 'How girlhood was trashed and what we can do to get it back: a father's perspective' really struck a chord. I thought it was a very sensitive and perceptive piece of writing.
I would love to see this book becoming part of social studies courses in high schools for both boys and girls.— Charmaine Saunders, f-agenda
Table of Contents
Preface: The Right of Children to be Children – Noni Hazlehurst
Introduction: The Pornification of Girlhood: We Haven’t Come a Long Way Baby – Melinda Tankard Reist
What Are the Risks of Premature Sexualisation for Children? – Emma Rush
The Seduction of Girls: The Human Cost – Maggie Hamilton
Sex on the Street: Outdoor Advertising and the Sexual Harassment of Women – Lauren Rosewarne
The Psychological and Developmental Impact of Sexualisation on Children – Louise Newman
Good is the New Bad: Rethinking Sexual Freedom – Clive Hamilton
The Faking It Project: What Research Tells Us about Magazines in Young Women’s Lives – Selena Ewing
The Gaze that Dare Not Speak its Name: Bill Henson and Child Sexual Abuse Moral Panics – Abigail Bray
Media Glamourising of Prostitution and Other Sexually Exploitative Cultural Practices that Harm Children – Melissa Farley
The Harmful Medicalisation of Sexualised Girls – Renate Klein
Sexualised and Trivialised: Making Equality Impossible – Betty McLellan
How Girlhood Was Trashed and What We Can Do to Get it Back: A Father’s View – Steve Biddulph
Finding the Courage to Get Real – Tania Andrusiak
One Woman’s Activism: Refusing to Be Silent – Julie Gale
