Body Image and Self-Esteem Among Children

Introduction

Negative self-image manifests itself in a number of different ways. Being able to identify the signs of distress can help the parent know how to help a teenager with low self-esteem. They could be everyday responses to how your child relates to the world around him, or they might occur only occasionally in specific situations. 

Low self-esteem can be particularly hard for young people, especially when they’re moving out of their comfort zones, like starting high school or work and forming new friendships and relationships. Positive self-esteem for teens is important as it allows them to try new things, take healthy risks and solve problems. 

You can be rest assured that at Skooc, you and your family are in good hands. 

Symptoms

Keep a lookout for some of the following signs of low self-esteem in your teenager:

• Isolating behaviours. Low self-esteem often dovetails with depression, each of which may lead to the teen preferring to spend time alone, leading to difficulty making friends

• Uses body language that signals low self-esteem, such as slouching or walking with the head down.

• Excessive bragging because they often overcompensate for their own low self-image and often blame others for their own mistakes

• Disordered eating habits and Eating disorders can emerge as a result of low self-esteem, as having control over their food intake is empowering to them. Binge eating can be a sign of using food to soothe emotional distress.

• Comparison to others and negative self-talk such as “I am stupid” or “I could never do that.” A defeatist attitude.

• Irrational feelings of guilt or shame and fear of failure or embarrassment

• Constantly apologizing. Teens with low self-esteem may feel they are inferior or not worthy, leading them to constantly apologize for everything they say or do.

• Has low levels of motivation and interest, avoids competition and taking up new opportunities or extracurricular activities 

• Unable to deal with normal levels of frustration and show mixed feelings of anxiety or stress

If you notice recurring instances of a few of these symptoms in your teenager, we at Skooc recommend a formal evaluation. 

Diagnosis

At Skooc, we help you better understand what you and your teenager are going through. If a teen with low self-esteem continues to exhibit the signs regardless of concerted efforts by parents and mentors, it may benefit the teen to obtain some help from a mental health practitioner. The therapist can help identify if there is a mood disorder or an eating disorder that may require attention. 

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Next Steps and Intervention

Our team of professional psychologists at Skooc can help you and your family by providing the necessary interventions. Typically, mood disorders in teens are treated through outpatient services using psychotherapy, specifically cognitive behavioural therapy. There are a number of ways to help build self-esteem through adolescence, but it gets harder to challenge those negative beliefs about themselves the older they get, and the more fixed those beliefs become. At Skooc, behavioural therapy may include:

• Cognitive-behavioural therapy - This involves identifying negative beliefs that contribute to feelings of anxiety, discussing how those beliefs have been shaped, and challenging those negative thoughts

• Dialectical behaviour therapy - This teaches students a variety of coping skills to apply to different situations

• Group Therapy - This helps students practice relationship skills, like active listening and effective communication, and develop close relationships with their peers, which helps reduce social anxiety

• Family Therapy - This addresses how your child’s anxiety has been influenced by and has impacted your family dynamic