Girls fret about looks as they return to school in image-obsessed age

MANY YOUNGSTERS say one of their biggest worries about heading back to the classroom is how they look, a poll suggests.

Girls are more likely to have concerns about their appearance than boys as they return to school after the summer holidays, with children becoming more anxious as they get older. The survey, commissioned by the Be Real Campaign, found that just over one in four of the secondary-age youngsters questioned said their appearance is one of the biggest worries about going back to school.

This is a higher proportion than those that were concerned about making friends, bullying and getting in trouble, but less than the proportions that were worried about exams, homework, having new teachers and new subjects and classes.

The poll also found that of those, nearly a third of girls said they were worried about their appearance, compared with 21 per cent of their male classmates, while over 36 per cent of 16-year-olds said they were concerned about this compared with 17 per cent of 11-yearolds

Youngsters were asked if they had any concerns about specific parts of their appearance as they return to school.

The most common answer was spots, freckles and bad skin, followed by body shape and clothes.

The Be Real Campaign was founded by youth charity YMCA and Dove.

Denise Hatton, chief executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “Young people are constantly bombarded with images of unrealistic body types in the media, advertising and online, which can have devastating effects on their confidence and overall wellbeing.”