Teenage Girl
Since the beginning of time, many teenage girls have had self esteem issues. Some may place the blame on hormones, but that is not always the case. In many junior high and high schools, girls are made to feel their true value is determined by the way they look. For those who do not have perfect bodies, perfect hair, or perfect clothing, these situations can wreak havoc on a teenage girl’s self esteem.
Many times the self esteem of a teenage girl can be challenged if they are made to feel that they aren’t in with the popular group. They may also have a lack of self esteem simply because they were not given the love and undivided attention by their family, that every child deserves.
When a girl becomes a teenager, their bodies and emotions go through many changes. This is the time when they are trying to figure out who they are, what they want to become in the future, and what type of goals they have in life. They need to be given extra confidence by the adults in their lives that they can achieve those goals.
AT HOME
Home is the first place a teenage girl’s self esteem should be boosted. Parents need to give their daughters praise and encouragement to help build their self confidence. If a teenage girl feels her family is proud of her and believes in her, the chances are much better that she will also believe in herself.
IN SCHOOL
Our schools should also take on the responsibility of helping build teenage girls self esteem. Administrators and educators should encourage all students to avoid grouping off into cliques. They need to emphasize the importance of students treating each other equally and respectfully.
HOMETOWNS AND COMMUNITIES
Another area where teenage girls self esteem can be lifted is in our hometowns and communities. Too many times things like local beauty pageants put too much emphasis on rewarding a girl for how beautiful she is. We need to be awarding those that do exceptionally well in school, give their time to help others, and that show a genuine love for fellow members of their community.
It can also make a huge difference in a girl’s self esteem if parents, educators and other community members work as a team to teach teenagers how to genuinely be friends to each other. If our children are taught not to judge each other by the way they look or if they have designer clothing, it will be a much kinder world all around. Teenage girls need to know how to value each other as human beings, and not base that value upon material things.
ROLE OF MEDIA
One of the worst outlets for bringing down a teenage girl’s self esteem is the media. The media teaches teenage girls that life is based upon beauty, popularity and glamor.
Those involved in the media need to make a change in how advertisements on TV, movies, radio and the internet are made. Teenage girls would feel much more secure in their own skins if the focus was on their hearts and minds, instead of their outside appearance.
