User:T Shrell/sandbox

Background
The age of consent varies from 16 to 18 years old across the United States.

Criticism of sexualization in child beauty pageants
In 1996, footage of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was broadcast on television across the U.S. of her performing onstage wearing a skimpy out fit with full makeup and hair during a child beauty pageant -- viewers felt as if they were watching "child pornography." With popularity of similar child beauty pageant television shows like Toddlers and Tiarra's, the public are concerned that young contestants are being displayed as "sex objects on stage."

Children develop a sense of sexual identity during the ages of adolescence and sexualization makes this task more difficult for youth. When parents enter their child into beauty competitions they are encouraging their children to engage behaviors and practices that are socially associated with sexiness.

There is controversy around the Glitz Child Beauty Pageants due to contestants dramatically enhancing their appearances and provocative performances. Performances and image alterations like the ones displayed in glitz pageants encourage young contestants to believe that having glitz beauty is the only way to gain success in both their pageant and non-pageant lives.

There are several petitionst to end the sexualization of children in beauty pageants.

USA Coaches and Training
The United States contains a wide variety of training opportunities for beauty contestants. There are schools across the U.S. similar to The Millie Lewis School, which offers training classes for children, teens and adults. The Millie Lewis School help young women overcome anxiety and build confidence through classes. The school's courses focus on personal personal development and help students build self-esteem through coaching in wardrobe, hair care, makeup, social grace, and more.

Shelly's Pageant Express is a company that specializes in helping children find success in beauty pageants. Shelly's modeling classes help children build self-confidence through classes that focus on the specifics, such as balance, eye contact, and appropriate attire. Shelly's Pageant Express trains children as young as two years of age, the skills needed to compete in a beauty pageant.

Schools for Child Beauty Queens in Venezuela
Venezuela is the world's powerhouse for beauty pageants. In the suburbs of Caracas lies Gisselle's beauty school. Females ages four to 24 attend courses that teach everything from the perfect catwalk, to the proper way to hold a wine glass. There are 160 females who take courses at Gisselle's, the majority of the females are between ages four and 11. These academies give students self-esteem, teaching them how to talk like an adult, and how to have personality.

Herman's beauty academy is another school that teaches young females the critical understandings and skills of being a beauty queen. Herman's glamour school and others like it have been around for over 45 years in Venezuela.There is a culture of beauty ingrained in Venezuela perspectives, so little kids constantly see the beauty pageants and the winners and they want to be in it.

Beauty Bootcamps in the Philippines
Beauty pageants are popular for females throughout the Philippines. Philippine women enter pageants hoping to win, ultimately leading to luxury living. Contestants prepare for pageants through attending training and bootcamps. Individuals competing in pageants used to go to Venezuela for training, but with the development of beauty bootcamps, contestants can find high-quality training in their home country. Kagandahang Flores is a popular training camp in Manila. The beauty bootcamp helps Philippine women perfect the skills needed to win Binibining Pilipinas. In the Philippines, beauty pageants are cultural things that begin with admiration of beauty; however, beauty pageants are also empowering for women and provide contestants the opportunity to escape from poverty. Contestants from other countries have begun traveling to the Philippines to receive training from bootcamps such as Kagandahang Flores and Aces and King. The bootcamps provide tedious, strenuous classes that push girls to be the best.

UK Beauty Pageant Training Courses
The United Kingdom has several child beauty pageants throughout the country, including "Baby Beautiful", "Tiny Miss", "Mini Miss", and "Miss Teen Queen." Training courses throughout the UK help contestants properly prepare for pageants. Pam's Pageants Academy of Modeling and Beauty Pageants is a leading talent agency in the UK that provides training courses for children and young adults who wish to perfect their pageant skills. Pam's Pageant Training Courses include catwalk training, how to appropriately answer questions, hair and beauty tips, and healthy eating and exercising. The Pageant Coaching Academy in Wales also coaches children and young adults. Pageant coaching lessons include social media makeover, appearances, wardrobe, perfect pageant girl, and charity work lessons. The Academy's goal is to teach students how to refine and improve their qualities so tat they can find success in pageants.

The French legislators banned child beauty pageants on the belief that these events encourage the "hyper-sexualization" of minors.