Over half of secondary pupils bullied about their looks

More than half (55 per cent) of young people have been bullied about the way they look, with two-fifths of those experiencing this bullying at least once a week.

This is according to new findings from YMCA England & Wales.

Most of the bullying focus on weight and body shape, with 60 per cent of young people admitting they tried to change their appearance after being bullied and 24 per cent said they reduced the amount they ate or went on a diet.

In some cases, the effect was more severe with one in ten of those being bullied about their looks having suicidal thoughts and nine per cent saying they self-harmed as a result.

YMCA England & Wales spoke to more than 1,000 young people aged 11 to 16 years old as part of its new research report ‘In Your Face’, which is part of its Be Real Campaign with Dove.

The research also revealed that, contrary to popular belief, most young people experience this bullying in person (72 per cent) and not online.

A staggering 80 per cent of those getting bullied about the way they look say it takes place in school or college.

The campaign is calling on schools and education professionals to be at the forefront in tackling the issue and become a Be Real School by using the campaign’s free Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools, which has already been downloaded by over 700 schools and colleges across the country.

Denise Hatton, chief executive for YMCA England & Wales, said: “Bullying has always existed among young people, but this generation face increasing pressure to live up to unrealistic beauty ideals which they say come from celebrities, social media and the media.

“It’s crucial that we teach young people how to feel comfortable in their own body and that looking different isn’t a bad thing. Educating young people about the effects of bullying alongside body confidence will help to tackle this issue where it’s most prevalent, schools.

“We know from previous research that young people who have learned about body confidence at school feel better about their bodies. We want schools across the country to use the Be Real Campaign’s Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools to help their pupils navigate this image-obsessed society we live in.”