Hypersexualization of childhood: a worrying problem 2026

Childhood is a wonderful time of learning and development and making it a treasure for our children is one of the maxims that many of us have as parents. However, the society in which we live causes many children to grow up prematurely, which can be a problem on several levels: firstly, their personality and self-esteem can be affected (especially if we assign them roles and tasks that, due to physical, mental and developmental conditions, are not up to their standards). Secondly, this problem leads to the transition from childhood to adolescence becoming increasingly precocious and, as we say, childhood is a fundamental period that we should not shorten, since the future development of many aspects of children's lives depends on it.

In addition, there is the added problem of continuing to worship the body in society. As long as clothing and physical appearance continue to be so important and, furthermore, as long as we continue to educate and teach young boys and girls ahead of time that they must always have a good image and always be dressed to the nines, we will not be able to end the problem of inequality and all that this entails such as problems of security and self-esteem.

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From birth, children are educated so that they know what society expects of them. They are educated based on pre-established values ​​that make them lose their own personality (or rather not form it) and focus only and exclusively on their body because, as they are taught, it is their cult and the image that they will give to society.

Wanting to dress children like teenagers at just four years old or encouraging girls to wear heels, put on makeup or get a manicure at five are just some of the hot examples of hypersexualization in today's society.

In 2001, the Bailey Report (a study on the commercialization and sexualization of childhood carried out by the first male executive director of the Mother's Union on behalf of David Cameron's Government) defined for the first time the term hypersexualization: “sexualization of expressions, postures or dress codes considered too early and leading to an increasingly sexualized childhood.”

What problems does hypersexualization cause?

Girls are, normally, the gender most affected by hypersexualization. They are invited to put on makeup, get a manicure, dress like adults or dream of being models from a very young age. This causes vulnerability: people with low self-esteem develop and are in danger of being easily manipulated by others. Furthermore, one of the most serious problems is that both boys and girls begin to adopt the role of sexual objects and of men and women as something natural and, worst of all, as something ideal that they have to achieve at any price. This leads to nutritional and development problems if the desired objectives are not achieved, reducing the quality of life and emotional well-being.

What are the factors that cause hypersexualization of childhood?

The worst thing about all this is not the factors, but rather that we are so used to seeing these patterns of behavior that it is very difficult for us to identify what is not right, which causes our children to lose their childhood before their time and begin to act as society wants them to act.

The support that most facilitates hypersexualization is advertising. In it, especially girls are used as sexual objects, dressed as women 20 or 30 years older than them and made up with the aim of touching our “sweetest” chord.

In addition, television and film series and films are also another of the media in which the term hypersexualization of childhood is the hottest (programs that invite girls to participate in beauty contests or that make them sing when they are only 4 or 5 years old).

In China we have recently seen that the iconic Victoria's Secret parade has been recreated starring girls of average 5 years old dressed in lingerie models and wings, imitating the angels of the famous brand.

Additionally, a video of a four-year-old girl doing a makeup tutorial recently went viral. There are those who consider it "funny" or "fun" and although we do not deny that the girl can be very funny, the background does worry us.

What can be the solution to this problem?

The real solution is not in the hands of parents and guardians of the children, although our role is obviously important. The real solution is the responsibility of the Government and the media of each country.

In France, for example, minors under 16 years of age have been prohibited from posing for fashion brands while, in the United Kingdom, they have chosen to cover the covers of erotic magazines and reduce advertisements with sexual content.

At home, as parents, we can also carry out some measures to try to control hypersexualization. Above all, make it clear to the child from a young age that each person has their own personality and has to be faithful to it no matter what, making them see that beauty lies in individuality. In addition, we can control the media by closely controlling what they see and what they do not see. At this point, the control we must have over their use of social networks is very important.