Story Published:
Oct 21, 2009 at 8:54 AM PST
HILLSBORO, Ore. – For some parents the most frightening thing about Halloween these days may be the fashionable turn toward the violent and racy children’s costumes.
Little girl costumes that once said “cute” now scream “sexy” with their array of fishnets, corsets and micro-mini skirts.
“The girl costumes are a little disappointing,” said costume shopper Kala Kumar. “They are a little skimpy – not much to the costume, hardly anything there – and pretty suggestive and tight.”
Bill Burns said the costumes are “kind of risqué to say the least. A little short, kind of inappropriate for little kids. It’s like it portrays growing up too fast.”
Whether in stores or online, Halloween fashion has ramped up the sex appeal, not just for tweens but also for kids as young as six. Packaging of some costumes show over-made-up pint-sized models giving their best sultry pout.
But costume concerns are not just limited to girls. Many costumes for boys are violent like one from the R-rated movie Halloween.
Dr. Erica Kleinkanecht, who teaches psychology at Pacific University, said kids see dressing up as playing, but it is parents who can be the sensitive ones.
“For them (children), it’s fun. When adults look at children in these costumes we know what they represent. We know that the costumes represent something violent, and we know what the outcome of violence is. We know that it’s awful and horrifying and we can get hurt very badly. So when we see kids acting like that, as adults it scares us because we don’t know what message we’re sending to our children,” she said.
Parent Lisa Bauman said it’s all about how kids are raised.
“If you have a little girl who knows how to act like a lady, that won’t be bad,” she said. “It’s all about parenting and family values.”
There are wholesome options out there that include doctors, firefighters, and a Wheaties champion. Another option is to let kids make their own costumes so it will end up being something more reflective of them.
