The girls challenge society’s norms with their dressing. The task of adults is to enable young people to play dress-up, even if it seems uncomfortable, writes cultural journalist Pauliina Grym.
I’m in New York, the year is 2018 or so. The picture showed his relative’s girl, who was dressed as a catwoman for Halloween. The skin-licking hosiery accentuated the curves. The outfit included cat ears and elaborate make-up. The creature was like straight out of a pin up poster.
– It’s wonderful, I answered and I really meant it.
– Yes, except that he is 12 years old, snapped Vinnie.
We assume that a too bold appearance leads to, among other things, low self-esteem, eating disorders, the inability to create intimate relationships, having sex (and even with older men), teenage pregnancies, child prostitution and falling victim to sexual violence or even homicide, not to mention substance abuse.
– Girls don’t rape themselves. Clothes are not violence.
According to Lindholm’s study *Shame, Blame and Contradictions in Protectionist Anti-Sexualisation Discourses on Girls’ Dress*, focusing on the sexualisation of girls gives permission to harass and harass girls. Girls are only seen as unwilling objects who draw attention to themselves without understanding the consequences. At the same time, boys and men are released from responsibility.
Dressing up is not an invitation
Instead of blaming and restricting girls, Lindholm calls for educating boys so that they don’t continue the culture of harassment.
– Boys should be taught to let girls be in peace and treat them with respect, no matter what they’re wearing, says Åberg.
Dressing up is therefore not an invitation, say both Lindholm and Åberg. It is obvious that children should not be sexually harassed under any circumstances, but the same should apply to adults as well.
Many times it seems to still be thought that an adult woman who dresses too boldly cannot be professionally competent. He is hypersexual, has loose morals and is otherwise questionable in terms of his values \u200b\u200band style of life.
Åberg says in his interview to Eeva magazine that things are inferred from weight, clothing and grooming style that cannot really be inferred from them, such as ability as an employee and worthiness as a parent and citizen.
Maybe it will be a little easier and safer for girls and women next year when the definition of sexual harassment in the law changes. In addition to physical activity, reprehensible acts can also include, for example, proposals for paid sex in a public place and unfounded inquiries about sexual life. Yelling \”good ass\” can therefore very soon be a punishable act, and not just a \”funny slap\” or a compliment in the opinion of the perpetrator.
Adolescence includes testing the limits set by adults
He hopes that a woman could be both openly sexual and respected and safe at the same time. Vikman consciously challenges the boundaries of what is considered appropriate femininity.
According to researcher Erica Åberg, teenagers looking for their own identity and style should also have the same right.
– Youth and girlhood include experimenting with boundaries and stretching them, as well as laughing at the boundaries made by adults, says Åberg in Kulttuuriykkönen.
Now let’s say it straight. Girls’ imitation of adults annoys and scares them.
A few years ago in Finland, there was a lot of discussion about why young girls were standing with their legs crossed, looking awkward. The media talked about the \”urine emergency position\ which \”strains muscles and joints\”.
No one dared to say out loud what it was about. The girls were just trying to look more mature than their age, i.e. more mature. The position brought more curves to the still-growing youngsters and emphasized the hips and buttocks.
Worried aunts and uncles are loudly searching for even medical risks from the momentarily fashionable pose. These girls were hardly left with life-long injuries.
*You can discuss the topic until 11:00 p.m. on December 1.*