Are Girls Too Sexy Too Soon? [STREET SOLDIERS]

You've seen it on the streets, you've seen it at the malls, and you may be seeing it in your own home: girls dressing too sexy, too soon. Is it a sign of the times or a sign of trouble to come?

It's not your imagination. Girls are wearing sexier-styled clothing and they're exposed to images that make it seem OK, says Dr. Jennifer Powell-Lunder, a psychologist.

"They're getting messages that say the more sexualized you are, the more attention you're going to get," Powell-Lunder says.

Disney child star Skai Jackson has drawn a lot of attention for her sometimes daring outfits that critics say are more appropriate for adult women. She is not the only one. And long after the outfit is gone, psychological side effects can remain.

"The over-sexualization of girls at a young age definitely affects them as they grow older," said La Shawn Paul, a clinical social worker.

Despite the efforts of parents to curate their daughters' clothing while they shop, there are other influences more powerful, says up-and-coming hip hop artist K Godde$$, who is managed by Tony Yayo.

"It comes from social media, it comes from TV, it comes from music videos because girls look at those things and say 'I want to be like her,'" K Godde$$ says.

She is trying to keep her younger sister away from the allure of strapless tops and skin-tight mini dresses. With girls getting curves at younger and younger ages, it isn't always easy.

"I tell my little sister all the time, 'Don't wear anything too tight, don't wear anything that's going to show too much because you're still a teenager,'" K Godde$$ says.

Shopping for age-appropriate clothing can be more like a battle, but there are ways to support girls to stand up to peer pressure.

"Teach your children that being themselves and that individuality is the most stylish thing they could be," says Kahlana Barfield Brown, fashion and beauty editor at large for InStyle Magazine. She says girls have many ways to put trendy and cute outfits together without exposing too much.

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***FEATURED CAST***

LISA EVERS, Street Soldiers host

TONY YAYO, rapper, G-Unit

K GODDE$$, hip hop artist

LA SHAWN PAUL, LCSWR, clinical social worker

KAHLANA BARFIELD BROWN, editor, InStyle

JENNIFER POWELL-LUNDER, PSYD, clinical psychologist

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