scream child abuse

There is, to date, no known association between JonBenet Ramsey's brutal murder and the child beauty pageants she participated in. Never the less, once footage from pageant videos was altered and unleashed en masse daily on cable news in 1997, JonBenet's role was established as the poster child for all things bad that happen to children that participate in pageants. All underpinned by allegations made toward her parents as abusers that supported it. Wild speculation yes, absolutely. There is not a shred of evidence or even a lukewarm lead pointing to JonBenet attracting a molesting murdering stalker at a beauty pageant. Ditto findings her parents nor pageants were abusive.

There are plenty of studies about high accident risk activities for children such as horseback riding, gymnastics and any of the team sports. In the same spirit, there are numerous studies about where pedophiles seek their prey with national laws enacted that are intended to help reduce risk to children. Yet not one of these reports mention child beauty pageants as being a a high risk, pedophile attracting activity for kids like oh, the Internet has proven to be.

That is not to say that perverts don't think of a 6 year old as a sex object, leering at purloined pictures of JonBenet online.

Frankly, I am not at all sure how much pageants damage a child more than any other highly demanding activity, but the public is sometimes freaked out, offended or outraged. Pageantry to me personally seems a boring, somewhat shallow and a rather distasteful avocation, but I can't sum up my personal opinion to an allegation of child abuse. It is rather ironic, too, how some folks condemn exploitation of children in the very same breath they exploit JonBenet's name in the process.

I've spent a good amount of time trying to find a reputable report on exactly how beauty pageants are so much more harmful to children than other mainstream activities. I haven't found one. If you can please let me know, if you would be so kind. While I see no quantified formal studies, there are stories now and then of the much speculated horrible things that can happen to children in pageants.

This story, published today is interesting as it is generational; the young child. a college student and a mom...all child beauty pageant participants--

Former Child Beauty Queen Speaks Out
Published by ABC News
by ANDREA CANNING and JESSICA HOFFMAN

"Nearly 15 years ago Brooke Breedwell was a 5-year-old beauty queen and the star of the documentary "Painted Babies." Now the 19-year-old is speaking out about how the need to win took a toll on her childhood and her relationship with her mother...

Breedwell, now a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, said her mother was very involved in her pageant career. While pageants gave Breedwell confidence and poise, she says her mother pushed her too hard.

Mickie Wood, a former beauty queen herself, admits she too lives vicariously through her 4- year-old daughter, Eden, who has been competing since she was a year old.

"If that was all we did and we were constantly in the mirror primping, if she was overzealous about her appearance, but I don't see that and if I ever did see that I would put a stop to it," she said. "I want her to be well rounded and balanced. It's just not all about beauty."

But Brooke Breedwell did feel like she was missing out. She quit pageants when she was 7 because of the pressure..."