Girls don’t need to dress provocatively

After seeing some of the Halloween “costume” pictures on Facebook, I wonder what motivates girls to wear a bra and underwear shorts with bunny ears as a costume. I find it pointless for teen girls to dress that way at Halloween parties.

However, there may be a reason as to why so many teen girls feel the need to dress in such provocative and revealing manner. There is an unaddressed problem with many teen girls’ self-esteem and with the negative pressure from peers and media. With movies and music icons who demonstrate girls who wear practically nothing as empowered and strong women, it is no wonder that many teen girls want to mimic these idols. According to a “National Report on the State of Self Esteem,” seven in 10 girls feel they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way and 57 percent of girls have a mother who criticizes the way they look.

Instead of encouraging these negative behaviors and allowing their teens to dress this way, parents should focus on helping girls gain their self-esteem. A simple thing a parent can do is take some time to talk to their daughters about respecting themselves. Let them know they are beautiful and they don’t need to dress in revealing ways to be accepted by people who love them. It could be, in some cases, the only thing a teen girl needs — to stop dressing in a manner that is disrespectful toward her body.

Wendy Robles

Schaumburg