Psychological Problems
Young girls entered into child beauty pageants are often forced to do so by their parents, who in many cases are living vicariously through them. Though many moms claim their daughters enjoy doing these pageants, psychologists and child experts disagree. Psychiatrist Lee S. Cohen argues, "A 3-year-old doesn't have the understanding of what it takes to do this and the decision they are making" (Triggs). Moms often become so competitive in the so-called sport because of the high financial commitments involved. According to author Peggy Ornstein, many families in the industry spend over $75,000 a year on pageants alone (Hollandsworth). And, according to an article published by People Magazine, registration fees often cost more than the actual prize money in many pageants (Triggs).
According to a study conducted by Anna Wonderlich, it has been determined that there is "A significant association between childhood beauty pageant participation and increased body dissatisfaction, difficulty trusting interpersonal relationships, and greater impulsive behaviors, and indicate a trend toward increase feelings of ineffectiveness" (Crandall). Even years after leaving the pageant world many girls still feel the pressure to be perfect. As a result, many women develop eating disorders and other issues that indicate a low self-esteem. One of the major problems with these pageants is that young girls do not understand how or what they are really being judged on in these pageants. According to Georgia Witkin Ph.D., children have trouble understanding the judgment process because to kids, most of childhood, “is spent trying something new, being thrown into situations that they feel completely insecure about- opening themselves to criticism and (in their minds) ridicule. Most of them have very thin skin”(Witkin). Clearly girls in these pageants have self-esteem issues because they are constantly facing rejection from the judges and the pressure to be perfect.
According to a study conducted by Anna Wonderlich, it has been determined that there is "A significant association between childhood beauty pageant participation and increased body dissatisfaction, difficulty trusting interpersonal relationships, and greater impulsive behaviors, and indicate a trend toward increase feelings of ineffectiveness" (Crandall). Even years after leaving the pageant world many girls still feel the pressure to be perfect. As a result, many women develop eating disorders and other issues that indicate a low self-esteem. One of the major problems with these pageants is that young girls do not understand how or what they are really being judged on in these pageants. According to Georgia Witkin Ph.D., children have trouble understanding the judgment process because to kids, most of childhood, “is spent trying something new, being thrown into situations that they feel completely insecure about- opening themselves to criticism and (in their minds) ridicule. Most of them have very thin skin”(Witkin). Clearly girls in these pageants have self-esteem issues because they are constantly facing rejection from the judges and the pressure to be perfect.