The Ashley Bikini, marketed by Abercrombie & Fitch, has caused outrage among parents and professionals over the psychological implications it could have. The padded bikini that is designed for second and third grade girls emphasizes sexuality at an age that is far too young, according to professionals. “These bras are an egregious example of a broader culture that is saturated with sexualizing messages aimed at young girls,” psychologist Dr. Eileen L. Zurbriggen, leader of an American Psychological Association task force on the sexualization of girls, said in a recent article. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be attractive, but girls are getting the message that being sexy is the only thing that is important.”
“As a society, we need to replace all of these sexualized images with ones showing girls in positive settings – ones that show the uniqueness and competence of girls,” Dr. Zurbriggen said in previously released statement. “The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents – boys and girls – that lead to healthy sexual development.”
In a related article, Dr. Michael Bradley, a child psychologist, said “I thought it was a joke when I first heard about it. Then, I realized, it’s so crazy, it must be true,” He points out that the American Psychological Association has long been aware that young girls were being targeted by retailers and has claimed that this should be seen as a warning sign. “They’re targeting girls as young as age 4 to be sexualized creatures,” Bradley said.
Gail Dines, a sociology professor at Wheelock College in Boston, was also dismayed and voiced her opinion in another article, saying that the bikini would push young girls to start identifying themselves in sexual ways long before they should. She added “It (also) sends out really bad signals to adult men about young girls being appropriate sexual objects.”
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