“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: gsresearch@girlscouts.org

• Visit the GSRI web page: http://www.girlscouts.org/Research