The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and Five Keys to Fixing It

In The Lolita Effect, Dr. M. Gigi Durham offers breakthrough strategies for empowering girls to make healthy decisions about their own sexuality.

Pop cultureand the advertising that surrounds itteaches young girls and boys five myths about sex and sexuality: Girls don't choose boys, boys choose girlsbut only sexy girls; there's only one kind of sexyslender, curvy, white beauty; girls should work to be that type of sexy; the younger a girl is, the sexier she is; and sexual violence can be hot. Together, these five myths make up the Lolita Effect, the mass media trends that work to undermine girls self-confidence, that condone female objectification, and that tacitly foster sex crimes. But identifying these myths and breaking them down can help girls learn to recognize progressive and healthy sexuality and protect themselves from degrading media ideas and sexual vulnerability.