Local News
Iowa professor: Kids’ costumes getting too violent, sexy
Posted on Oct 16, 2009 by admin.
Luke Jurgenson, 2, of Robins tries on the hat from a Caribbean pirate costume with the help of his mom Tammy (right) as friend Avery Edwards (left), 3, looks on at Halloween Express in Cedar Rapids in 2006. (Gazette photo)
Scholars say they are seeing a troubling trend in Halloween costumes for children, with some for girls being too sexy and for boys too violent.
University of Iowa associate professor Gigi Durham tells of a 5-year-old girl a few years ago trick-or-treating in a tube top, gauzy miniskirt, high heels and makeup. She said it brought to mind child prostitution.
Durham, who studies the premature sexualization of girls, says dressing up is fun and should be safe. She suggests parents set boundaries about what is appropriate and explain why.
University of Northern Iowa philosophy professor Harry Brod says boys should also be careful about the costumes they wear. He notes boy’s costumes, particularly the superhero ones accessorized with weapons, seem to encourage violence.
Brod encourages parents and children to consider making their own costumes rather than buying one off the rack.
– Associated Press
LDizzle
16. Oct, 2009
I've felt that girls costumes have been too sexy for some time. Even in adult costumes. It's not about what scary, or appropriate for Halloween. It's about who looks the most trampy.
hdeen
16. Oct, 2009
There is no link to increased violence in society with Halloween costumes.
Note that when 1960's/1970's era cartoons were removed from television, there was no drastic decrease of violence in society. Toy guns have widely been removed from retailers and there has been no drastic decline in violence.
Common sense should prevail among parents when they chose their children's costumes. Personally, I would not allow my daughter to be dressed as described above, but the fashion industry, video game industry, cell phone industry, etc. is already guilty of pressuring children to dress and act like adults. So why just single out the Halloween costume industry in this regard?
The bigger problem in society is the INTENSE pressure of society placed on kids to become little adults as soon as possible.
WWJD1
17. Oct, 2009
The biggest problem is taking Christianity out of society and then wondering why there is so much violence. When young people believe that they descended from an animal instead of being created by an all loving, all powerful, all knowing everywhere at once God who knew of their existence before they were created in their Mother's womb and who weaved them together and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-16) and they are created in the image of God, then it is no wonder that they behave as animals, join gangs because they need to feel like they belong to something and start committing the barbaric acts that the gangs demand. Our young people don't believe in God (i.e. the Father of Jesus Christ) are not accountable to God and do not believe in a Heaven or Hell; they are only accountable to the gang they belong to or their peer pressure group, or the God neutral Public School System!
JamieKibu
17. Oct, 2009
So what, exactly, are you saying?
WWJD1
17. Oct, 2009
JamieKibu
Kids are starving Spiritually, and so they compensate with bad behavior. This one might make it through, but it really doesn't do the reply justice. We would have a lot more popular forum if it wasn't for all the censoring, but that is just another microcosm of what is wrong with our society and why newspapers are failing!
pappybeary
17. Oct, 2009
maybe would you should go live in iran. their are many wrong with the world today. and you are the problem go preach to some that cares what you think.the devil must have came out of me sorry i must of sinned fruit loop.
FullStop
17. Oct, 2009
I'm on your side of this.
Plus, even those who don't believe, must admit that society was better off when the majority of people believed in God, and lived as though they did.
I would be careful, though, about excluding the Jewish.
malinari
17. Oct, 2009
well WWJD1 your comment would be true except that christianity is responsible for lots of violence. you have people who were burned alive by christians for being a so called witch, most of the klan was christian and they murdered hundreds of people just because they were black not to mention the so called holly wars against those that didn't belive in the christian god, the list goes on and on.
WWJD1
17. Oct, 2009
The fact is we are created in God's image and so we need Spiritual Food but that is not what is happening to our young people in the God neutral environments that they have to grow up in. Our young people are starving spiritually, are not accountable to God, do not reverence God, etc., and consequently are very angry, sad, lost, misdirected, etc. inside and so they turn to other things and behaviors to compensate for their losses, needs, emptiness, anger, etc., … it is a Spiritual Problem with them more than anything else!
WWJD1
17. Oct, 2009
People are created in God's image and so they need spiritual food but that isn't what is happening in our God neutral environment that we have created in the public, secular part of our society. Our young people are starving spiritually, don't believe in God, don't have a reverence for God, are not accountable to God for their actions, don't believe in a Heaven or Hell and consequently are very lost inside, do not have the unbelievable joy and peace that God can give them, they are angry inside and they don't know why, etc. and so they do all these crazy things to compensate. I typed something like this before, but it was censored
WWJD1
17. Oct, 2009
JamieKibu;
I typed two replies, but they were censored so you will just have to wait for the First Amendment to be applied; sorry!
WWJD1
17. Oct, 2009
JamieKibu;
I typed three replies now, but they were censored so you will just have to wait for the First Amendment to be applied; sorry!
nohope
17. Oct, 2009
I think this boils down to good, strong, responsible parenting. Parents need to start putting their foot down and saying "no" to their children dressing as prosti-tots. If there weren't a market this type of clothing for children, the manufacturers would not be marketing it.
nohope
17. Oct, 2009
Huh, my answer was also censored so I'll try again….
I think it all boils down to a lack of smart, responsible parenting. Why don't parents put their foot down and say "no" to stuff that makes their child look like a p r o s t i – t o t?
If parents wouldn't allow their children to dress this way there wouldn't be a market for the apparel.
FullStop
17. Oct, 2009
It's the parents buying trampy costumes for 5 yr olds — not the children. The problem IS the parents.
shersberg
17. Oct, 2009
I don't think it's just costumes that are "too sexy" for Halloween anymore. I have seen some pretty "sexy" or too old of a look for very young girls. I recall when my daughter was in grade school, girls would come to school looking like they were trying to be 16 years old. TG my daughter wasn't like any of them and remained "her age". So far, my granddaughter appears to be dressing age appropriate but I have seen rather "questionable" clothing & make-up on girls only 8 or 9 years old.
GrandpaR
17. Oct, 2009
The " wanna be Mothers" that dress their very young Daughters up for those contests for the prettiest girl, is a big mistake. They are tought to act sexy to win the trophy. I'm sure as the girls get older, they use that experience to get attention and the holloween costumes that are too sexy are the costumes thier parents pick out for them. Some of the Mothers even get into fights if their Daughters lose the contests.That is very sad.
NomerBull
17. Oct, 2009
Clues seem to be in short supply today. Here are some:
Halloween is only 1 day a year, and trick-or-treating itself is only an hour or two. The rest of the year has 365 days & 22 hours in which to influence kids.
Cold weather means little girls masquerading as wh.ores will have to cover up anyway.
Toy guns, swords, etc do not translate to actual violence. My friends & I played army, cowboys & Indians, cops & robbers, etc all summer long as boys and yet we are all living productive, felony-free lifestyles as adults.
I went as Bugs Bunny for Halloween when I was six. I don't turn into a rabbit these days, except on Thursdays.
Kids give more thought to their candy than to their costumes. They get more excitement out of the sugar flowing into their mouths than the ill-fitting masks that cover their faces and interrupt the flow of that sugar.
Ann_Onamouse
18. Oct, 2009
You mean, you dressed as Bugs Bunny, and never ONCE had the urge to drop an anvil on somones head, or replace your moms hair curlers with stix of dynomite? You have a moral compass that is much stronger than the average bears, sir…hats off to ya.
NomerBull
17. Oct, 2009
Halloween is only 1 day a year, and trick-or-treating itself is only an hour or two. The rest of the year has 365 days & 22 hours in which to influence kids.
Cold weather means little girls masquerading as wh.ores will have to cover up anyway.
Toy guns, swords, etc do not translate to actual violence. My friends & I played army, cowboys & Indians, cops & robbers, etc all summer long as boys and yet we are all living productive, felony-free lifestyles as adults.
I went as Bugs Bunny for Halloween when I was six. I don't turn into a rabbit these days, except on Thursdays.
Kids give more thought to their candy than to their costumes. They get more excitement out of the sugar flowing into their mouths than the ill-fitting masks that cover their faces and interrupt the flow of that sugar.
lobosolo
19. Oct, 2009
the story should have just read : bad parents raise bad kids… even on halloween.
the author of the story also fails to point out that University of Iowa associate professor Gigi Durham has written books about this
http://www.amazon.com/Lolita-Effect-Media-Sexuali...
so its not really surprising that she has this opinion. are there any journalists left who can spot a conflict of interest ?