AB 2642, as introduced, Campos. Minors: sexualized portrayal.
Existing law makes it a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years, or in a county jail for up to one year, or by a fine not exceeding $2,500, or by both the fine and imprisonment, to knowingly possess or control any matter depicting a person under 18 years of age engaging in or simulating sexual conduct.
This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to limit the public display of sexualized images of female minors by restricting the advertising of products, services, and entertainment that portray female minors in a sexualized manner.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(1) Pornography has moved out of its previous hiding places to
4gain mainstream acceptance and social value.
5(2) The imagery, values, and aesthetics of pornography are now
6embedded in all areas of popular culture.
P2 1(3) Representations of girls and women in sexual poses are
2commonplace.
3(4) Advertising, music videos, video games, commercial films,
4and other cultural products are all a vehicle for this aesthetic,
5particularly in products targeting younger
audiences.
6(5) Girls are encouraged to adopt a sexy appearance and
7behavior before they are able to understand sexuality, feel sexual
8desire, or have the critical ability to make responsible decisions
9regarding the risk of sexual intimacy.
10(6) High media consumption has been linked to aggressive
11behavior, early sexualization, drug and alcohol consumption,
12unhealthy food choices, childhood obesity, negative self-image,
13and negative school performance.
14(7) Early sexualization is linked to unwanted pregnancies and
15a rise in sexually transmitted infections.
16(8) Sexual initiation before the age of 13 has been linked to the
17use of weapons, interpersonal violence, and experimentation with
18drugs and alcohol.
19(9) Early sexual initiation is inversely correlated to the use of
20coercion. The younger a girl is at sexual initiation, the higher the
21chance she has been forced or coerced.
22(10) While sexually precocious boys have high self-esteem,
23sexually precocious girls have low self-esteem.
24(11) The erotization of images contributes to the fetishization
25of girls in the media. Erotized and passive images of girls
26encourage a devaluation of their contribution to society. The
27representation of girls as legitimate sex objects encourages sexual
28exploitation. Girls learn to see and value themselves as sex objects.
29(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to limit
30the public display of sexualized images of female minors by
31restricting the advertising of products, services, and entertainment
32that
portray female minors in a sexualized manner.
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