Conclusion
Today, there are still many young children participating in child beauty pageants across the United States. These pageants are watched by many, both on and off screen for everyone’s entertainment. However, child beauty pageants often objectify the child participating and can affect the child in a negative manner. If the United States Congress enacted a bill prohibiting children under the age of thirteen to participate in child beauty pageants, negative effects on the young child engaged in this performance would be put to a halt. Although many pageant parents believe these events can help build confidence in the child, the outcome of participation is usually detrimental rather than beneficial, as seen in the Sunburst Beauty Pageant and in the infamous reality television series, Toddlers and Tiaras. By continuing the authorization of child beauty pageants, consequences such as self-esteem and body issues, the sexualization of the participant, and a form of child abuse, would continue in the beauty pageant realm. France’s Equality Between Women and Men Act has already outlawed the partaking in beauty pageants for adolescents under the age of thirteen from the apprehension of sexualizing the youth. Nonetheless, if the United States Congress were to enact such a bill, some parents would be resentful due to the fact that parents hold authority over their children and claim to know what’s best for them. Children will often listen to what the parents have to say because the parents usually act in the best intention of their children, rather than in the immature selfishness of a child or the pure selfishness of an un-invested adult. The United States Congress should enact a bill, similar to France’s Equality Between Women and Men Act, outlawing children under the age of thirteen to participate because it would be beneficial to the children partaking for the reason that the detrimental consequences of involvement would end.