Child beauty pageants are a fun way for kids to build self confidece and meet friends

Introduction: To clarify, Pro must prove that child beauty pageants are fun (something that provides amusement), and that participants both build confidence and meet friends in the process. As Con, it is my burden to detail why beauty pageants may not be fun, and challenge the idea that contestants build confidence and/or meet friends. Good luck to Pro, whom so far has offered absolutely no arguments in her favor. Arguments: While pageants may in fact be considered fun to some participants, the reality is that what is being done to these young girls is child abuse. According to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Acts, child abuse is "the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, of a child under circumstances which indicate the child's health or welfare is threatened or harmed." The very nature of these pageants ensures that this criteria is met. While defenders of child beauty pageants may claim that they give contestants confidence, the truth is that the amount of pressure put on these girls in addition to all of the other traumas they endure makes this experience a draining and harmful one - not a fun and rewarding one. First, most of the girls engaging in these pageants are too young to make informed and unbiased decisions about their participation. Many parents live vicariously through their children to fulfill their own dreams of being beauty queens. Even those who seemingly choose this hobby do so only because of the encouragement or pressure of their family to do so. Indeed young girls are too young to care about coiffed up-dos to the point of it being a contest. This competitiveness is the result of parental brainwashing. The amount of pressure put on these young girls to win is absurd. In addition to worrying about pleasing their parents (and sometimes enduring their wrath in case of a loss), these kids also deal with disappointing themselves as they hype up winning and beat themselves up if they lose. All in all, these pageants are very detrimental to a child's self-esteem. Studies have shown that for every child who may derive some benefit from the competition, hundreds of others suffer damage to their self-esteem and develop warped values about their bodies, which often lead to anorexia or bulimia. Overall, I fail to see how competing in these pageants increases one's self-esteem. These young women cannot win by being themselves; instead, they are expected to dress up in lavish outfits and wear ten pounds of make up in order to look suitable or on part with the other competitors. How is one thinking that they must be all made-up in order to be beautiful contributing to one's self-esteem? I'd argue that this practice in fact does the opposite. The emotional damage that children endure hurt not only their mental and physical well-being as it pertains to themselves, but their safety is often in jeopardy as well. These beauty pageants often sexualize little girls, which makes them a prime target for pedophiles and other predators. These young girls are being brainwashed into thinking that there are specific ways a woman should act (hyper-feminine) and dress (glamorous and revealing). This inhibits their personal growth and may devalue their personhood. Additionally, many of these girls become competitive with one another because of their obsession to win and intense pressure to win. As such, making enemies - not friends - becomes part of the routine. References: [1] http://billyreedsays.com... [2] Jeannie Ralston, "The High Cost of Beauty." Parenting. Nov. 2001:132-133. [3] Kareen Nussbaum, "Children and Beauty Pageants." A Minor Consideration. [4] Lise Hilboldt-Stolley, "Pretty Babies." Good Housekeeping Feb. 1999. [5] William J Cromie, "The Whys and Woes of Beauty Pageants." Gazette.