We believe every young person should grow up feeling confident about their looks. That’s why we’ve developed Confident Me, a set of evidence-based resources for teachers and schools aimed at 11-14 year olds.
Aligned to promote adolescent body confidence, the free downloadable tools are designed to allow teachers and schools to run body-confidence workshops. The workshops allow teachers and pupils to explore the impact that image ideals portrayed through the media have on young people's self-esteem.
Low body confidence and self-esteem affect young people's learning. Anxiety about appearance has been linked to poorer concentration and less engagement in class, resulting in worse academic performance. Globally, eight out of 10 girls admit to opting out of important everyday activities, such as engaging with friends or loved ones, because of concern about their looks.
There are single- and five-session tools designed to adapt to your time frame. Both tools have been proven to make a positive impact on improving body confidence. The workshops explore how society, professional and social media promote an unrealistic 'ideal' body, and learn strategies to protect and build self-confidence in themselves and others.
References:
The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report. Commissioned by Dove, 2016 Reframing Beauty – Unlocking the Potential of Young Girls. Commissioned by Dove, 2014
Educational materials looking at the media's influence on body image and self-esteem, with videos, presentations and worksheets to help build young people's body confidence
Teaching materials on body-image and the media – activities, videos and worksheets to help boost young people's body confidence and improve their self-esteem
