The term Lolita effect has since come to refer to the blame that can be put on young females for their part in abuse or harassment that they face, similar to the phrases "slut-shaming" or "victim-blaming".

Durham claims that she wanted her book to present female sexuality, even at a young age, as healthy, normal, and even an important part of development into adulthood.

The book's main focus states that media advertisement manipulates the narrative of girls exploring their sexuality and either exploits them in dangerous ways, or judges them as deviant or slutty.

Durham condemns how sexuality is portrayed in the public sphere, especially in regards to celebrities, as she believes it must be done in private for healthy development.

[4] She criticizes this approach, stating that "Projecting presumptions about the effects of media sexualization and objectification on adult women onto girls’ lived experiences both underrates the importance of the broad array of meanings that girls ascribe to the imagery of idealized femininity and inappropriately equates a specific type of objectification (sexualization) with all manners of treating the body as an object to control and manage.