Thank you for attending our Parent Circle. The goal of this circle was to have a discussion about the topics that are impacting our daughters today! This type of forum, is something that Girls Are Powerful would like to continue as we continue to grow as an organization!
The Daily Beast reported that girls as young as ten are already struggling with body image: over 80 percent of ten-year-old girls are afraid of being fat; by middle school, 40-70 percent of girls are dissatisfied with two or more parts of their body; and body satisfaction hits rock bottom between the ages of 12 and 151. 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating. This compares to 25% of girls with high self-esteem2. It also reported teen girls that have a negative view of themselves, are 4 times more likely to take part in activities with boys that they’ve ended up regretting later3. 7 in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members4. A girl’s self-esteem is more strongly related to how she views her own body shape and body weight, than how much she actually weighs5. The top wish among all teen girls is for their parents to communicate better with them. This includes frequent and more open conversations4.
References:
- http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2014/04/08/powerful-role-models-can-change-how-we-value-girls.html
- http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-national-report-reveals-the-high-price-of-low-self-esteem-65355592.html
- http://mentor-center.org/image-and-self-esteem/
- http://www.examiner.com/article/dove-s-campaign-for-real-beauty-boosts-girls-self-esteem-for-back-to-school
- http://www.examiner.com/article/teens-self-esteem-your-teen-s-self-esteem-dependent-on-you
Here are some additional topics and associated information:
Anticipatory Guidance :: 6-12 years
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/program/ctc/content/document/pdf/antguide6to12.pdf
Better Health
http://www.health.state.mn.us/cdrr/obesity/pdfdocs/tvviewingfastforwardreport.pdf
Bullying
http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/SchSup/SchSafety/BullyingConcerns/index.htm
Minnesota Human Trafficking
http://mnhttf.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MNHTTF-Mental-Health-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Self Esteem
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-teens-and-self-esteem
Social Media :: 16 Apps and Websites Kids Are Heading to After Facebook.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/16-apps-and-websites-kids-are-heading-to-after-facebook
Suicide Prevention
http://www.health.state.mn.us/injury/topic/suicide/help.cfm
