Each year, Halloween costumes for females seem to get shorter and tighter, highlighting the sexualization of women through what should be a purely fun holiday. The sexualization of females has become more and more prominent during the Halloween season. It’s as if seductive costumes are expected.

The objectification of women has gone on for far too long. Businesses have found ways to turn hospital nurses, police officers and even Little Red Riding Hood into overly revealing costumes. There’s too big of a gap between children’s costumes and costumes that are labeled for teens.

The number of appropriate costumes is overridden by the vast majority of revealing costumes. It’s not a particular company’s fault, but the availability of proper costumes must be increased.

Beginning at such a young age, children are exposed to the hypersexualization of women. Halloween is a children’s holiday. Why wreck their innocence?

Young children shouldn’t grow up in an environment where women are constantly revealing themselves on Halloween night. Continuing to normalize these thoughts about women will only teach young generations that this problem is okay.

It is sickening to grow up in a society where men and women are held to different standards. The expectations for women are contradicting. It’s impossible to satisfy the unspoken societal norms. How can you not be revealing when that’s all that is available? You can’t. The difference between male and female costumes is unfair. The exponential incline of hypersexualization of costumes for young women is downright scary.

A study shared by the American Psychological Association studied the sexualization of girls and found common mental health problems in women: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.

Halloween isn’t to blame. This issue is an everyday occurrence; however, it is exemplified on Halloween night. No person is to blame, but until the female body is not sexualized, this problem will not end.