Define 'Harms'

The BBC posted an article today entitled "Sexualization 'harms' young girls." What the hell does 'harms' mean? Does it indicate the psychological damage that sexualized images in the media do to the female half of the population? Does it take into account the positive images of women in advertising and on television? Is 'harms' a medical term, or does it have a broader meaning? An expert quoted in that article said "We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development." Okay, so let me see if I understand this. Sexualized images on television 'harm' girls. Poor education 'harms' girls. Unhealthy eating habits, pollution, life, 'harms' girls. It is exactly this kind of unclear medical reporting that frustrates me to no end. To make generalizations like this, particularly in regards to such an important topic, misleads the public and compromises scientific research. One could argue it 'harms' them.