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“What Girls Say” About Self-Esteem, Body Image, and Holistic Health October 17, 2007. Judy Schoenberg, Ed.M., Director, Research & Outreach Kimberlee Salmond, M.P.P., Senior Researcher, Research & Outreach Girl Scout Research Institute. Goal for the Day - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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“What Girls Say”About Self-Esteem, Body Image, and Holistic
Health
October 17, 2007
Judy Schoenberg, Ed.M., Director, Research & Outreach
Kimberlee Salmond, M.P.P., Senior Researcher, Research & Outreach
Girl Scout Research Institute
Goal for the Day
Help you better understand girls’ experiences in:
• Self Esteem
• Body Image
• Holistic Health
as we develop solutions to address challenges and advance the well-being of girls
External Influences
• “Girl-Power” media market culture
• Sexualization of Girls
• Ideal-body internalization
Packaging Girlhood, Lamb & Brown; Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, APA Task Force; The Prevention Researcher
Age Compression “Teens Before their Time”
• Pressure to be everything to everyone
• Cognitive and physical development vs. emotional development
Girls Speak Out and Teens Before their Time, GSRI
Holistic Health
• Being healthy is emotional and physical well-being.
• More than just eating right and exercising
• About feeling good about oneself, being supported and appearing “normal.”
The New Normal?, GSRI
Self-esteem, body image, and stress are core components of emotional health.
• Girls are more concerned than boys about everything, especially appearance.
• Stress increases with age, but nearly half of 3rd – 5th grade girls are often stressed.
• 1 in 4 girls has some level of dissatisfaction with her weight.
• Role of age and race in body image and attitudes.The New Normal? GSRI
What worries girls the most?
• Being teased or made fun of (32%)
• Being gossiped about (24%)
• Being called names (18%).
66% of youth have been teased or gossiped about in a mean way at least once in the past month and 57% have teased or gossiped about someone else.
Feeling Safe, GSRI; Youth and Violence, Families and Work Institute
Girls who do not feel emotionally safe are more likely to:
– Have trouble paying attention in school
– Have trouble making decisions
– Often feel sad and unhappy
– Often feel there is no one to talk to
Feeling Safe, GSRI
Body Image & Eating Disorders
• Almost half (46%) of girls report significant distress about their body size and shape.
• Body dissatisfaction increases risk for disordered eating, depressed mood, and low self-esteem.
• Up to 10% of girls and young women might suffer from disordered eating.
The Prevention Researcher
Eating Disorders & Obesity
• Obesity is now the most chronic health problem among American children.
• The strongest correlation for overweight girls is between weight and income.
• Research suggests that eating disorders tend to co-occur with being overweight.
• There are benefits of collaborative efforts to curb all eating related disturbances.
The New Normal? GSRI; The Prevention Researcher
“Active Identities”
• The more physically active girls are, the greater their self-esteem and the more satisfied they are with their weight, regardless of how much they weigh.
• 83% of very active girls say that physical activity makes them feel good about themselves.
The New Normal? GSRI
The Mother-Daughter Connection
A mother’s weight, body image, and health habits are strong predictors of whether her daughter:
• Is overweight
• Is satisfied with her body
• Is physically active
• Looks to her mother for advice on healthy living
The New Normal? GSRI
Girl Scouts in Action• 3 million girls + 1 million adult volunteers nationwide
• 95 year history offering girls innovative programs in self-esteem, physical activity, nutrition and holistic health
• More than 60 Healthy Living Earned Awards & Participation Patches
• GSRI Resources
Recommendations for Working with Girls
• Listen to girls, take them seriously, and reward their accomplishments.
• Respect girls’ experiences.
• Be honest, kind, and supportive.
• Provide fun, safe environments.
Recommendations for Policy Makers
• Policy solutions should embrace a holistic definition of health.
• Community-based organizations that serve youth should be seen as vital partners.
Looking Forward: Girls as leaders today and tomorrow
69% of girls currently think of themselves as leaders.
Girls are leaders in three arenas:
– At school (66%)
– At home (44%)
– In after-school groups or activities (29%)
However, an important disconnect occurs as girls envision being leaders later in life. Only about 1/3 of girls (36%) are interested in being leaders when they are older.
Exploring Girls’ Leadership, GSRI
The New Girl Scout Leadership Development Experience
• Discover, Connect, and Take Action
• Exploring Girls’ Leadership Research Review, October 2007
• Original study on girls and leadership, coming Spring 2008
The Girl Scout Research Institute
• For more information contact the GSRI: [email protected]
• Visit the GSRI web page: http://www.girlscouts.org/Research