Penalties for men who buy sex

Newsweek has run an article on an extensive study of men who buy sex. I am so glad to see that major news organizations are shedding light on the "consumer" and "demand" for the purchase of women as objects and how great of a problem it truly is. While there are factors like education and poverty to be addressed on the victim's side of the issue, solutions to those problems will never be effective if we don't cut down the demand.

Page 5 of the article states, "Striking developments abroad are also influencing policies in the United States. In 1999 Sweden decided that prostitution was a form of violence against women and made it a crime to buy sex, although not to sell it. This approach dramatically reduced trafficking, whereas the legalization of prostitution in the Netherlands, Germany, and much of Australia led to an explosive growth in demand that generated an increase in trafficking and other crimes. Sweden’s success in dealing with the problem has persuaded other countries to follow suit."

What kind of penalties do you think would act as effective deterrents for men who purchase sex?

+2 points for Victoria Beckham; my thoughts on shaving

People quoted Victoria Beckham as saying, "I like little girls to look like little girls" and I whole-heartedly agree. Bikinis for 6-year-olds, high heels for babies...it's all kind of gross in my opinion.

And on the flip side, I think full-grown, adult women should look like adult women. What I mean by that is, striving to look like a pre-pubescent with gangly limbs and no hair ANYWHERE is similarly gross to me.

I haven't done any research on this, it's just a hypothesis and theory, but I don't think the model that our media portrays (and we follow suit in re-emphasizing) that completely shaved as the ideal does anything to help men find the value and beauty in women their age. Does it make sense to anyone else that shaving yourself to look like a little girl only aids in young girls and CHILDREN being viewed as sexual objects? I know it's a stretch, but I don't think it's ludicrous.

Focusing on the inward

As I've talked to people/parents/my husband about what causes a young girl to grow up so focused on her outward appearance, I've drawn the conclusion that it's what she sees that becomes what she considers normal. If her mother is focused on her outward appearance, so she will be. If her father is constantly commenting on outward appearances of her mom, other women, or she herself, she will find that is what is worthy to a man.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has noticed this, and this author is making a conscious effort to focus on inward characteristics when talking to young girls.

I know my own mom didn't talk much about her appearance or what physically made her self-conscious, and I believe that I owe her for the self-confidence and high values I hold on other characteristics.

Do you think what we talk about to or in front of young children makes a difference in how they develop their worldview?


How much did your parents focus on outward vs. inward characteristics and how do you think that affected you?