Be Real Campaign, founded by YMCA and Dove, launches Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools to tackle low body confidence in the classroom
Almost a third (30%) of secondary school pupils isolate themselves to avoid activities because of low body confidence while more than half (52%) regularly worry about how they look, according to major new research from the Be Real Campaign.
Somebody Like Me, launched today by the body confidence campaign, has revealed the scale and damaging impact that body image anxiety is having on young people’s lives.
Researchers spoke to more than 2,000 secondary school pupils aged 11 to 16 years old and found that more than a third (36%) were willing to do ‘whatever it takes to look good’ and that nearly two thirds (63%) said what other people think of their looks is important to them.
The report also highlights the vital part schools have to play in tackling body image anxiety, as three quarters of young people (76%) who learned about body confidence as part of their curriculum said it made them feel more positive about themselves. However, despite this, less than half of young people (48%) surveyed said they had learned about the issue in the classroom.
Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools
On the back of today’s findings, the Be Real Campaign has launched a new Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools. Available to download for all secondary schools across the country, the pack provides lesson guidance, advice and materials to help teachers educate their pupils on body image.
The Be Real Campaign is a national movement made up of individuals, businesses, charities and public bodies. It was formed in 2014 in response to the Reflections on Body Image report 2012 from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image. YMCA and Dove are founding partners and the campaign is sponsored by bareMinerals, N Brown, New Look and Superdrug.
Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of the National Council of YMCAs in England and Wales, said:
“The Be Real Campaign’s research released today shows how harmful body image anxiety can be for secondary school pupils as young as 11 years old.
“We’ve found evidence of young people not only isolating themselves from activities, potentially causing long-term physical or mental health difficulties, but also considering cosmetic surgery and extreme diets to improve how they believe they should look as a result of the body image ‘ideals’ they see in media and advertising.
“As such, we are proud to launch the Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools on the back of our findings. Evidence shows that schools are uniquely placed to support young people to hold positive discussions around body image with their peers and help reduce the negative impact low body confidence can have.
“We are now calling on schools across the country to download the Be Real Campaign toolkit to support their pupils to lead body confident and healthy lives.”
Other key findings from the Be Real Campaign’s Somebody Like Me research include:
- Four in five young people surveyed (79%) said that how they look is important to them
- Almost three in five respondents (57%) have or would consider going on a diet to change the way they look
- One in 10 (10%) would consider having cosmetic surgery to change the way they look
- Almost a fifth of teachers (18%) surveyed said they did not feel confident talking about body confidence with their pupils.
Speaking about their experience with body image, young people taking part in the research said:
“It is everywhere. It’s something that I think about every day, all the time, what I’m looking like, you know, how I’m dressing and how other people perceive me,” Isabel, 15, East of England.
“I find it is quite a big problem, but boys will kind of hide their feelings; they are embarrassed to say something. I think it’s because they’d be seen as a bit ‘wimpy’ and not as ‘manly’, because men are meant to be the tough, strong ones according to media and stuff,” Nathan, 14, East of England.
“I Photoshop every one of my profile pictures, I kid you not. I get rid of my spots, I get rid of my double chin. It genuinely takes me 25 minutes to make a profile picture,” Josh, 16, Scotland.
Meanwhile, teachers have backed the importance of teaching body confidence in school.
Julie Hunter, Assistant Headteacher at Bradon Forest School, in Wiltshire, said:
“The Be Real Campaign Toolkit is a vital resource to help us go beyond our current approach to body confidence. By making curriculum links beyond PSHE, the toolkit ensures a broader buy-in from teaching staff, who need to build their confidence in tackling this issue.
“For me it’s about enabling teachers to use accurate language so they’re confident when delivering these lessons. Equally it is vital that we make students aware of this issue. We work hard to make students aware of their own mental health and wellbeing, so the toolkit fits into our ethos as a school.”
The Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools follows on from the Body Image Pledge, released in November 2016, that asked fashion, media, music and advertising industries to ‘Be Real’ in their use of images.
Read more about the toolkit, pledge and Be Real Campaign.
Schools can download a copy of the toolkit at www.berealcampaign.co.uk/schools/
ENDS
Notes to editors
Interviews are available with:
- Denise Hatton, YMCA Chief Executive
- Julie Hunter, Assistant Headteacher, Bradon Forest School
- Dr Pooky Knightsmith, body confidence and mental health ambassador
- Young people with experience of body image struggles
Please contact Ramona Aning, Senior Press and PR Officer,
T: 020 7186 9544
Download a copy of Somebody Like Me.
About the Somebody Like Me
Research for Somebody Like Me was undertaken by YMCA on behalf of the Be Real Campaign.
The quantitative fieldwork was conducted by EdComs, a specialist education communications agency. The quantitative sample consisted of 2,018 young people aged between 11 and 16 years old from across the UK. In addition, 501 teachers from across the UK were also interviewed. The quantitative fieldwork was carried out in May 2016.
To supplement this, YMCA also held focus groups in 12 locations in the UK with young people aged between 11 and 16 years old. The focus groups were carried out in November and December 2016.
About the Be Real Campaign
The Be Real Campaign is a national movement made up of individuals, businesses, charities and public bodies.
The Be Real Campaign was formed in response to the Reflections on Body Image report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image. Chaired by MP Mary Glindon and co-ordinated by YMCA, the campaign was founded in partnership with Dove and is sponsored by bareMinerals, N Brown, New Look and Superdrug.
The Be Real Campaign unites individuals and organisations, amplifying the voices of those working to change attitudes and behaviour. Supporting them with research and resources, we are bringing together their expertise and influence and working collectively to build a body confident nation.
The Be Real Campaign focuses on three areas in which it strives to bring about real change.
- Real Education: We want to give children and young people a body confident start to life.
- Real Health: We want healthy living and general wellbeing to be prioritised over just appearance and weight.
- Real Diversity: We want the advertising, fashion, music and media industries to positively reflect what we really look like.
YMCA in England and Wales
- Founded in 1844, YMCA in England and Wales is made up of 133 member YMCAs working to ensure that young people have opportunities to thrive and contribute positively to their communities.
- YMCA operates in almost 660 different communities in England and Wales impacting upon the lives of more than 600,000 people every year.
- YMCAs provide nearly 11,000 beds for young people every night. YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of safe, supported accommodation for young men and women.
- YMCA in England and Wales enables 53,000 people every year to engage in education, skills and training to enable them to improve their opportunities in the job market.
- YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of health and wellbeing services promoting physical activity.
EdComs
EdComs is the UK’s largest communications, research and marketing agency specialising in education. EdComs work in partnership with clients and teachers to create, deliver and evaluate transformational educational programmes. Our work is effective, influential and recognised by industry awards. With over 20 years of experience, EdComs has worked with nearly 300 household names from private and public sectors, including Google, Unilever, BP, British Olympic Association, Samsung, Microsoft, Boots and the UK Government.