I don’t like myself .. I keep comparing myself to pics of TV stars and I wish I looked like them
Girls as young as 10 call Childline over body image
AN “AVALANCHE of body-perfect images” is causing girls to seek help over concerns about their looks, children’s charity NSPCC Scotland have warned.
Worries about weight, acne and general appearance led to an increase in kids calling Childline over the last year – and girls in Scotland are up to four times more likely than boys to ask for help.
NSPCC Scotland say there were 141 counselling sessions provided to young people with body-image problems in 2016-17 – a rise of 129 from the previous year – and 98 were for girls.
The numbers included 14 sessions delivered to children under the age of 11.
Some of the children who sought help had suffered bullying at school and online, and had tried to change the way they look. Issues with self-esteem, depression and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia also featured among those receiving counselling.
One 12-year-old girl told Childline: “I don’t like myself. I keep comparing myself to pictures of people in magazines and people on TV and I wish I looked like them. I don’t want to talk to people about this because I don’t want to worry them.”
Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen pledged support to the increasing number of children who are worried about their looks.
She said: “It’s very sad and extremely worrying that girls, in particular, are so unhappy with the way they look.
“Without the right support and a general change in attitude across society, there is a real danger these issues could intensify and continue into adulthood.
“It is important all young people realise that everyone is different and everyone has the right to grow up slowly and be comfortable in their own skin. Childline will continue to provide vital support for young people to ensure those on a journey of self-acceptance never feel alone.”
The NSPCC Scotland warning comes after a Government-funded study of more than 10,000 children showed a quarter of girls and nearly one in 10 boys have signs of depression at the age of 14, with worries over body image one of the primary contributors
Right now, Childline counsellors can only respond to 3 out of 4 children who need our help
along with exam stress. Loose Women star and mum of two Stacey Solomon, who was praised last month for sharing a list of her so-called body “imperfections” in a video filmed on holiday, is backing the NSPCC in highlighting the issue.
Mocking herself in a white bikini, she told her 457,000 Instagram followers they are all “perfectly imperfect and unique and beautiful” and is urging parents and carers to pass this message on to children.
She said: “Childhood should be a happy, carefree time but these figures show many young people are getting old before their time.
“The 24-hour nature of social media along with the constant stream of airbrushed images on television and in magazines is encouraging girls in particular to strive for an ideal which doesn’t exist in reality.”