Nearly a quarter of 10-11 year olds have been bullied because of their appearance

The Schools Health Education Unit recently published ‘Young People into 2011′, a report on the lifestyles of more than 83,000 young people aged between 10 and 15. Some of the statistics published are particularly concerning:

• 32% of 10-11 year old girls, 50% of 12-13 year old girls and 56% of 14-15 year old girls said they’d like to lose weight, with some taking measures as drastic as skipping meals in order to achieve their ideal weight.
• More than 22% of 10-11 year olds have been picked on for the way they look.

The report shows that despite worries about safety, money and friends, appearance remains a big concern for young people of both genders across a wide age range. A summary of some of the report’s findings are available online here: http://sheu.org.uk/content/page/young-people-2011, or you can read coverage of the report in the Independent here.

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