How can schools support positive body image in pupils?
To support schools with body image education, the DSWP are excited to be working with The Body Happy Organisation™ to provide all schools across the DCC area with a fully funded package of body image education resources. The Body Happy Organisation™ is an award winning educational non-profit, and this offer includes a live online CPD session for staff, a six-lesson curriculum pack for both KS3 and KS4, and a flexible digital workshop for Years 5 & 6. All materials are curriculum-linked, age-appropriate, and designed to support pupil wellbeing, inclusion, and personal development.
The aim of this offer is to:
- Support emotional wellbeing and self-esteem
- Promote inclusive, respectful peer relationships
- Improve engagement in PE and active participation
- Reduce stigma and bullying related to appearance
- Build confidence during transitions and adolescence
- Strengthen belonging, attendance, and attainment
To register your school’s interest and access the resources, please complete this form https://forms.gle/UtkdmwEyhAWzQHwb8.
The dates for the staff CPD twilight sessions are:
Primary:
Thursday 25th September, 3.30-5.00pm
Thursday 9th October, 3.30-5.00pm
Tuesday 14th October, 3.30-5.00pm
Tuesday 18th November, 3.30-5.00pm
Secondary:
Thursday 2nd October, 3.30-5.00pm
Tuesday 11th November, 3.30-5.00pm
The session will cover body image, wellbeing, and inclusive classroom practice. We would like to encourage as many schools as possible to have a member of staff take advantage of this fantastic CPD session, however you don’t need to have attended a session in order to use the resources in school.
Sign up for your chosen session here: https://tally.so/r/wbDvQE.
What is body image?
Body image is what describes the thoughts and perceptions about our body and the feelings associated with it. Our body image can have an impact on our wellbeing both in positive and negative ways, but body image dissatisfaction is unfortunately widely experienced for both adults and children.
There is evidence that attitudes around body shape and size can start to develop as young as 3 or 4 years old, with body image concerns often developing across the course of childhood and adolescence.
Body image can relate to a number of different appearance concerns, such as body shape or size, height, skin colour and texture, facial features, and physical disabilities or difference, amongst others. Dissatisfaction can arise when we feel that we do not meet certain standards, look different to others, or simply are not ‘good enough’.
Body image is influenced by many different factors, which can include things such as the values of parents, friends, and peers; experience of appearance-related bullying; social media promoting certain appearance ideals; appearance ideals in film, TV, and media; wider social and cultural values of what is attractive or healthy; and expose to advertisement about improving appearance.
What risk does poor body image pose to wellbeing?
Body image can impact our wellbeing in many ways, and experiencing body image dissatisfaction in childhood or adolescence can contribute to:
- Low confidence
- Low self-esteem
- Anxiety
- Depression or low mood
- Critical internal voice
- Social isolation and withdrawal
- Disengagement from school and activities
- Disordered eating behaviours
- Self-harming behaviour
What do we know about the body image of young people in Devon?
In a recent pupil wellbeing survey that sampled young people from years 4, 6, 8, and 10 in Devon, we found that in primary school:
- 18% of boys and 30% of girls worry about their appearance
- 13% of boys and 18% of girls were unhappy with how they look, rising to 22% of year 6 girls
In secondary school:
- 28% of boys and 54% of girls worry about their appearance
- 21% of boys and 46% of girls worry about their size or weight
- 19% of boys and 43% of girls say how they feel about their body and/or appearance ‘often’ or ‘always’ negatively impacts their mood, rising to over half of year 10 girls
- 1 in 4 of boys and 1 in 2 girls say they ‘often’ or ‘always’ feel like they would like to change their body or how they look, this is up to 57% of year 10 girls
- 10% of boys and 28% of girls said they ‘often’ or ‘always’ avoid doing the activities they would like to because they are worried about how they look, rising to a third of year 10 girls!
Additionally, whilst it is clear that body image concerns are a widespread occurrence amongst our young people in Devon, appearance-based bullying was the most common reason pupils said they were bullied by others. In primary school, 25% of boys and 28% of girls said they were bullied about the way they look, and 21% of primary pupils were bullied about their size or weight. In secondary school, 37% of boys and 58% of girls were bullied about how they look, and over a third of boys and girls were bullied about their size or weight.
To support the pupils in your school, please sign up to the resources and training available!
Any queries? Please get in touch – dswp@devon.gov.uk