Introduction

There has been a fair amount of discussion in the community in recent years about the challenges faced by adolescent boys. However, teenage girls also face many trials as they mature. My awareness and concern about the issues experienced by teenage girls have been amplified recently by parenting a pre-teen daughter and having several nieces who are busy negotiating the space between childhood and adulthood.

The Unique Challenges Faced by Adolescent Girls

Both girls and boys encounter rapid changes in their bodies as they experience puberty, but girls’ experiences of their body changes can be quite different from boys. Girls’ concerns with the shape and size of their bodies, especially when experiencing puberty in spaces that compare, idealise, and sexualise women’s bodies, can be particularly challenging and sometimes even traumatic.

The Role of Parents and Guardians

Parents and guardians play a critical role in helping girls build a positive and healthy view of their bodies. One particularly significant issue for girls is changing bodies and developing a healthy body image.

Societal Influences and Their Impact

Living in a culture that idealises and sexualises women and girls’ bodies also means that girls and women internalise negative body images. Media, including popular music, television, and social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok, often portray women’s and girls’ bodies in specific, sometimes harmful, ways.

The Psychological and Physical Effects of Body Image Issues

Poor body image can damage girls’ psychological and even physical well-being and has been linked to various disorders, including depression and eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

Strategies for Fostering a Positive Body Image

I often ask parents to address body image explicitly when talking to adolescent girls. These talks are even more compelling when they come from female parents and caregivers. Healthy eating and exercise can positively enhance girls’ opinions of their bodies.

Media Literacy as a Tool for Empowerment

Adults can monitor and screen media use and point out how media negatively portrays women’s bodies and how these portrayals affect people’s self-perceptions. Parents and caregivers can discuss and encourage healthy eating and exercise.

Conclusion

Body image is an important issue to consider and address as girls grow; being explicit about body image in conversations, mainly when initiated by adult female relatives and modelling healthy behaviour for adolescent females, is particularly powerful, assisting them in developing a positive body image and a healthy view of themselves.

As we continue to navigate the complexities of adolescence with our daughters, nieces, and young girls in our care, it is crucial that we actively engage in conversations and practices that promote a healthy body image. This journey requires collective effort and understanding. I encourage parents, guardians, and caregivers to initiate open dialogues about body image, critically examine media influences, and model positive behaviours.

Let us work together to ensure that our girls grow up valuing themselves for who they are beyond physical appearances. Please share this post with someone who might find it helpful, and let us spread awareness and support for fostering positive body images in teenage girls. Together, we can make a difference.

Jomo Phillips, Couple & Family Therapist