Child beauty contests have become increasingly common and increasingly controversial in recent years.With entrants ranging from 3 to 18, some see the practice as a form of child abuse and child sexualization, while defenders see it as a means of teaching children important life skills such as determination and confidence.It is an increasingly lucrative business, bringing in roughly 5 billion dollars a year. The murder of Jon Benet Ramsey in late 1996 turned the public spotlight onto child beauty pageants. Critics began to question the ethics of parents who would present their child in such a way. Dan Rather, for example, was noted for criticizing CBS for airing Ramsey’s tapes, calling them “kiddie porn.†Now, with child beauty pageants being introduced in other countries such as Australia, they are meeting greater global scrutiny, debate, and calls for bans.
