Profit, growth and sexualization of our childredn tied together

Profit and growth are responsible for the sexualization of our children.

Melinda Tankard Reist.

That is the implication of the well-researched views of Canberra author, speaker, media commentator, blogger and advocate for women and girls, Melinda Tankard Reist.

The essence of her views is that the rude drive by companies and corporations to become bigger and more profitable combined with almost total community silence ensures our children will be psychologically damaged and grow to be equally damaged adults.

Ms. Reist, known for her work on the objectification of women and sexualization of girls and working to address violence against women, presented her thesis about the erosion of children’s values recently to nearly 100 people at the Lakeshore Church on the Sunshine Coast.

Her presentation was part of an on-going program introduced to the church by its pastor, L.T. Hopper, to engage his congregation, and others, with contemporary societal issues.

Introducing the church’s second parenting seminar, Pastor Hopper, said: “As a church we are obviously just a bunch of ordinary people who have issues that are common to everyone and so particularly as parent myself I know that I’m a bit like a beggar myself looking for crumbs when it comes to getting help when it comes to being a parent.”

In introducing Ms. Reist, he said most parents were really at a loss when confronted with the issues about to be discussed..

Her concerns were primarily about girls, but she was also alarmed how contemporary society treats boys, who she said were being raised in a “very brutal and callous version of masculinity”.

Ms. Reist began with criticism of a society that celebrates violence, but then considers fining parents who allow their children to become bullies.

She looked at the cultural landscape in which people were struggling to raise happy, healthy and resilient children and asked why is it so hard to raise children? – “It’s the toughest gig in town,” she said.

In what was probably the most daring presentation ever hosted at a church, Ms. Reist took those listening on a tour of the realities of contemporary society showing the acutely sexualized images that children are confronted with every day.

She explained how many international corporations that are either based on sex or profit from sex, portray themselves innocently, but profit handsomely from the corruption of young minds.

She argued that it was the silence of the community that allowed this perverse profiteering to continue.

Many examples of the sexualization of youth were collected by Ms. Reist in Queensland, but frequently from companies that are represented throughout Australia. An example was a padded-bra, which she held up, for a four-year-old.

Ms. Reist argued that all those listening should immediately talk with their local politicians and demand changes to protect our children from sexualization.