Do we live in a "paedophile" culture? I think so.

[BlytheSpiritsSpirit]

I came across this old article on Feminist Current:

You’ve heard of rape culture, but have you heard of pedophile culture?

It's really made me stop and think; children are hyper-sexualised in our culture, aren't they? A recent issue my own DD brought up was the way Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things has been sexualised as she's grown (example here) and her co-star Finn Wolfhard (example here)

Why do people feel it's ok to sexualise children like this? What about the beauty pagents for 3 year olds, the drag queen competitions for pre-teens, or remember the internet countdown for when the Olsen twins turned 18? (that was a while ago, so clearly this isn't a new phenomenon)

The more I think about it, the more disturbed I get. I think we do live in a paedophile culture, or at least a culture where the hyper-sexualisation of children is completely normalised. AIBU?

Mesmermancer if 16 years old are children why can they get married , live by themselves, agree to sex?

Well we can argue that if you want but legally they are classed as minors (children) until 18. For example, if a 24 year old is supplying a 17 year old with alcohol in exchange for sex etc it is legally CHILD sexual exploitation because they are under 18.

I did ask this yesterday, should the age of consent be adjusted?

Say we said 18 as some countries do or should it be lowered?

I think 16 is about right- any higher and you would just be increasing the number of illegal relationships, any lower and you are exposing immature teenagers to exploitation and abuse without the protection of the law.

Agree with Fresta

I think if the age of consent was increase then there would have to be a two tier aoc. One for teenagers having sex with people within their own age group then any higher one would be similar to the age at which people in positions of trust have to adhere to (18)

I am an adult woman in my mid-20s. One who is definitely into the hyperfeminine look and my sartorial choices cannot be described as anything other than sexualised. Nota bene - I am an adult woman, aware of what I am wearing and why, with some life experience and able to deal with potential fallout.

I see young (13-16?) year old girls who dress like me. I fear for them. Perhaps because they aren't fully aware of what they're doing. I hate to admit that if I had a daughter, I wouldn't let her outside in such clothing. I hate to say this, because of course no men should be leering at children, but it is how it is and sometimes teens have to be saved from themselves because we live in a broken world. To say otherwise is disingenuous, to say the least.

I think if the age of consent was increase then there would have to be a two tier aoc. One for teenagers having sex with people within their own age group then any higher one would be similar to the age at which in positions of trust have to adhere to (18)

I agree.

Mummyoflittledragon
She was pointing out that part of choosing particular clothes links to a growing awareness of their own sexuality and interest in the opposite/same sex.

14 year old girls won't have their bum on to tease pervy old men, obviously. But through the complex socialisation process they have learned what men/boys find attractive (in a very narrow and limiting view) and so with their underdeveloped sense of self and sexuality and all the worries and hangups of teens will seek to dress in a way that gets them that validation or attention or confirmation they're pretty and so on.

Every year I hear y7/8 students talking about boyfriends and girlfriends. I've seen sexting and peer to peer explicit images of children be moved from the y10/11 PSHE curriculum down to year 8//9 because worryingly sending flirty photos or worse and sending sexy messages is considered to be flirting, not something that is done as part of an established adult relationship with trust and appropriate safeguards if that's your cup of tea. The awareness of sexuality now in teens and preteens in places is quite scary. There's always been some who were more sexually active and aware, but now even though I don't think more teens are sexually active, their awareness of sex is much more and also things that were taboo 5 years ago are talked about like it's normal.

Yanbu.
Haven't rtft.
To me it is a paedophiles paradise visually for those who favour young teens.
Unfortunately I think it has always been a paedophiles paradise for young vulnerable DC throughout history, with religious orders on homes, owl uncle Sam, it was ignored lots more swept under the carpet.
I'm not sure if there is more around today they're more out there for sure, everytime you read the paper a new case unfolding, people are more protective of their children.
I bet I the near future we'll be expected to except them since we're embracing all things bright.

In some ways, the hightened sexual awareness isn't exactly a bad thing - fewer teenage pregnancies and perhaps a greater awareness of STDs? Also I think I've read somewhere that teens actually have sex later these days, though I haven't kept a receipt for that one.

OTOH we have this huge problem of porn, where abusive and downright dangerous practices are on the rise.

Personally I was one of THOSE teens who were extremely sexually aware and I started early. But then, I was savvy enough to know how to protect myself against pregnancy and STDs, and treated sex as a noncommital relaxation inbetween intense bouts of studying, and couldn't be bothered with all the relationship nonsense.

... but I digress. Teen girls need solid, no-nonsense sexual education. They need to know how to protect themselves from creeps. What to look out for. And how to look out for each other, because if they don't, who will?

Teen girls need solid, no-nonsense sexual education. They need to know how to protect themselves from creeps. What to look out for. And how to look out for each other, because if they don't, who will?

I think that also applies to teenage boys. They need no nonsense lessons in what is and acceptable. They need educating that porn is not real life, educating of the damage they could do and about their responsibilities. Proper sex education that is reflective of sex and what’s real and what isn’t.

I dont know if things were much different years ago I just think places like the internet have given the weirdos a place to meet others and encourage each other.

My mum got pregnant with me when she had just turned 16 she has never had a boyfriend before and was encouraged to marry my 30 yr old dad. I know some people shrug and say its fine and I do love my dad to bits but on paper it just seems wrong. This was in the early 80s.

My dd 15 buys clothes from the mens/boys section as she hates women styles. She is into skateboarding so likes clothes she can actually move in.

As for shorts that show your bum cheeks for young children apart from the look wouldn't they also be impractical for play. Especially those inflatable slide type things as you can get horrible burns if your skin touches them.

I've been mulling over this topic a bit and have come to the conclusion that it's not that we live in a more paedophilic culture, but rather we seem to be living in a time where the sexual objectification of women is more prevalent (and men to some extent). The way women are portraying themselves in the media and on social media is in a far more provocative way than in previous generations. Stars such as Kim Kardashian, little Mix, etc. all wear extremely revealing clothes- the likes of which would have been considered tarty and the get up of a prostitute in the 1990s (see Pretty Woman). This hyper-sexual clothing is now considered mainstream fashion for young women- just look on Boo Hoo or Pretty Little Thing and they are easy to find and see the girls clothes on love Island.

All this change in acceptability of fashion and sexually provocative behaviour has inevitably filtered down to the upcoming generation of girls who want to emulate what is fashionable for women and what they see their favourite pop and media stars wearing and doing. Even many parents can't see that the clothing their children are choosing is linked to a sexualized over exaggerated ideal of women. Until we stop overly sexualising women and stereotyping women in this way then we are likely to see younger girls sexualised like this too.

To me, it seems crazy that while in some ways we are heading towards a culture where men and women are more equal and women's rights and opportunities are improving, in others it seems we are taking steps backwards. I don't want to get into the whole 'trans debate', but I feel the issues there are all linked within the same sexual cultural issues too.

but I feel the issues there are all linked within the same sexual cultural issues too
I agree.
In this era of acceptance the lines are completely blurred, things are going backwards, the next generation will be very confused.

No, it just has more media attention and awareness than it did back then

There isn't more paedophiles these days I think the way media is and social media ismakes it more noticeable.

You see the big cases in the press of big stars or internet sickos but What you really to be aware of that most paedophiles are well known to the victim be it a family member, priest ect.

Yes we do, you just have to look at Youtube comments section and see the undercover pedo rings operating, in plain sight but hey it makes them $$$$ so they dont care. Lots of family vloggers making millions off pedo views too

HeresMe i hear that all the time, but theres any proof in that? I believe the widespread of porn for example brings more deviations. But its a opinion, i dont have any facts to support that. At the same time i dont see facts to support the statement that there arent any more pedophiles then say 50 years ago.