Beyond Objectification: Understanding the Correlates and Consequences of Sexualization for Black and White Adolescent Girls

Although objectification theory posits negative consequences of self-objectification for adolescent girls, few studies have tested how objectification and sexualization contribute to mental health for youth of color. Accordingly, the current study explores the relations among body surveillance, enjoyment of sexualization, and mental health for a sample of 473 Black and White adolescent girls (Mage = 15.21, SD = 1.43). As expected, body surveillance and enjoyment of sexualization were associated with various forms of diminished well-being. Race moderated two of these links, with Black girls who reported higher levels of body surveillance also reporting higher levels of depression and hostility compared with their White peers. Future work should examine the implications of enjoyment of sexualization for youth of color.

Automated summary

While objectification theory suggests negative effects of self-objectification on adolescent girls, there is limited research on how objectification and sexualization impact mental health for youth of color. This study found that body surveillance and enjoyment of sexualization are related to diminished well-being for adolescent girls, with race also moderating these effects. Future research should further examine the implications of enjoyment of sexualization on mental health for youth of color.