Sexualization is the process of interpreting a person, group, or object as sexual. It is prevalent in modern culture and can have negative psychological impacts, particularly on girls and women. The American Psychological Association has defined four criteria to distinguish sexualization from healthy sexuality, and sexualization has been linked to various mental health problems.
Sexualization is the process by which a person, group of people, or object is seen or interpreted as sexual in nature. The sexualization of girls and women is of particular interest and cultural relevance due to its prevalence in many aspects of modern culture and the psychological impacts it can have on sexualized individuals. It is also a concern for children as, due to exposure to highly sexual media or as a result of a child’s upbringing, an inappropriate level of sexuality can be imposed on a child prematurely.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has defined four main points that can be used to distinguish sexualization from healthy sexuality. Each of these criteria can provide evidence for sexualization; it is not at all necessary for all four to be present. The first point states that an individual has been sexualized if they base a significant portion of their self-esteem on sexual behavior or appearance, to the exclusion of other qualities or behaviors. The second quality commonly possessed by sexualized individuals is the belief that physical attractiveness and sexual attraction are the same thing and that there are no other elements to physical attractiveness.
The last two qualities of sexualization are based primarily on others’ treatment of the sexualized individual. If others sexually objectify an individual by using that person solely for a sexual purpose, such as pornography or prostitution, that person has been sexualized. Sexualization also occurs when one individual imposes sexuality on another without the first individual’s consent. This occurs, for example, when children are exposed to highly sexual materials or behaviors.
Sexualization particularly, but not exclusively, in women and girls has been linked to a variety of psychological disorders and mental health problems that are almost ubiquitous in modern society. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, low self-esteem, and depression of varying degrees of severity, for example, are often all closely linked to the first two points of the APA that define sexualization. People are constantly exposed to the media flood of images and videos of highly sexualized girls, many of whom appear to be very thin, have flawless skin and wear expensive clothes. While it is unrealistic to aspire to imitate these images, such images can inspire powerful feelings of inadequacy that can lead to many different psychological conditions, including those noted above.
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