Loading ...After reading The Sexualization of Children, it too me several days to recover. That is, Sharna Olfman’s book was a bit shocking, almost unbelievable, like, I don’t want to believe this story, and even though my life has not been a sheltered one, I thought I’d seen it all, I guess I really hadn’t. What is going on in this world, is beyond belief.
Without a doubt children have been used for sexual reasons since the beginning of recorded history. The advancing of pornography in our century, is something, however, that has made children more vulnerable than before. The media can furnish a picture of children as little sexual things, such as with the 21st century Bratz doll sensation, which both introduces girls to the false idea that looking like a little hooker is a way to express one’s future womanliness, and even the Disney Princess Empire, which set out in recent years on a commercial venture to own every girl’s heart and little pocketbookas well, hopefully, for their entire life. These romantic fantasies, and just enough sexuality, are appealing to most young girls and it beings to open the entrances of their little hearts to the premature romantic fantasies that lead to big-bellied teenagers in high school, as one Substance Abuse (SAC) coordinator in high school said, “it seems like every girl that walks through these doors,” her office, “is pregnant”. The fantasy doesn’t end with the Ariel and Mulan, but it begins to pick up speed as {children} become teens.
{In any case} it took a few days to recover from Olfman’s book, it was edited by Olfman, who is a college professor at Point Park University in Pennsylvania, who is is spokesperson and advocate of children, to expose, explain, and ostensibly help to solve the problems that confront a large percentage of this world’s children. Her previous books dealt with children being overdiagnosed and subsequently overprescribed psychiatric medications for ADHD, bipolar disorder, childhood depression, and the like, her succeeding book Bipolar Children considered specifically that issue. There was also two previous books in the series that dealt with children and education.
Should you read The Sexualization of Childhood? For any psychologist, anyone involved with social work, or child study team member (in a public or private school), grade school or high school, The Sexualization of Childhood should be read. Too many psychiatrists and others in the mental health field might totally ignore the effects of both the effects of various aspects of the media on the mind of a child, in fact to find one who gives much thought to this issue would be extremely unusual, it is generally not being considered, and the abuse of children is something that often, isn’t noticed by some mental health professionals both in public and private practice. In the public school mental health system both psychologists and psychiatrists, might “miss” this vital clue, especially if they are not tuned into the idea and aware of the prevalency of child abuse, and begin to aggressively treat children with psychotropic drugs, when in fact the source of their psychiatric “disorder” can be rooted in child abuse, sometimes abuse that has been occurring for some time.
To capitalize the suggestion, yes definitely do read it! It will be worth it. Take a deep breath before and after and read some sections with one eye closed.
This article was produced by John Samuels of the Association for Natural Psychology. Please also visit our bookstore. Natural psychology, self help for treatment of mental health disorders, natural cures of mental health disorders, depression treatment without drugs, positive parenting, raising and teaching special needs children, and a variety of related subjects are considered. You can also see our new book,
Overcoming ADHD without Medication: A Parent’s and Educator’s Guidebook on Amazon, Alibris and other online locations, which also discusses the Sexualizing of Children and its implications on mental health. The Association for Natural Psychology is a New Jersey non-profit corporation.