Self Esteem & Teenage Girls
In San-Francisco the self-esteem crisis affecting girls is just as pervasive, if not more so in some respects, as it is nationally. San-Francisco is ranked among the top five locations with the highest percentage of girls who believe they're not good enough daughters.
Key Findings:
-- Seven in ten girls (71%) in San Francisco believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members
· 51% of teen girls in San Francisco reported engaging in negative activities, such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking, or drinking, when feeling badly about themselves
-- 38% of teen girls in San Francisco admit to talking badly about themselves
-- 7% of teen girls in San Francisco resort to injuring themselves on purpose or cutting when feeling badly about themselves
-- 8% of teen girls in San Francisco practice disordered eating, such as starving themselves, refusing to eat, or over eating and throwing up, when feeling badly about themselves
· -- The self-esteem tipping point happens during the transition to teenage years resulting in loss of trust and communication with adults:
-- 58% of girls in San Francisco ages 13 - 17 turn to their mother as a resource when feeling badly about themselves compared to 88% of girls ages 8 - 12
-- Only 31% of girls in San Francisco ages 13 - 17 will turn to their father for help when feeling badly about themselves compared to the 50% of girls ages 8-12. At 16, girls become more likely to seek support from male peers than from their own dads
-- Parents' words and actions play a pivotal role fostering positive self-esteem in teens:
-- The top wish among girls in San-Francisco is for their parents to communicate better with them which includes more frequent and more open conversations as well as discussions about what is happening in their own lives
To sign up for the free self-esteem workshop in San Francisco:
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is hosting a free 90-minute workshop at the Boys & Girls Excelsior Club (163 London Street, 94112) in San Francisco on Tuesday, October 14 from 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. To sign up for this free self-esteem workshop or to learn more about the national workshop tour, visit www.dove.com/makeadifference.
About the Dove Self-Esteem Fund:
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund was established as an agent of change to inspire and educate girls and young women about a wider definition of beauty, with a goal of reaching 5 million girls globally by 2010 with self-esteem programming. The Fund supports the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA to help build confidence in girls 8 - 17 with after-school programs, self-esteem building events and educational resources.
Books by Jess Weiner:
- A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life...and How You Can, Too!
- Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds from Now
About Jess Weiner
Jess Weiner is an author, self-esteem expert, advice columnist, and media personality, committed to transforming the self-esteem of women and girls worldwide. With a refreshingly candid and engaging personality, Jess has an incomparable gift for connecting with both mothers and daughters alike and helping them to develop the attributes of self-confidence, self-knowledge, and self-acceptance.
Jess is a contributing editor for Seventeen Magazine, for which she writes a monthly column dedicated to discussing body image and cultivating a sense of body peace. Jess is the Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) and plays a vital role in their global campaigns throughout North America and Canada. As Ambassador, Jess contributes a featured column to the Dove Digital Channel on MSN, allowing her message to reach millions of women and girls worldwide.
Jess chronicles her own self-discovery and ultimate recovery from a teenage eating disorder in her first book, A Very Hungry Girl. Spending over 15 years on the road listening to the real life issues of women and the language they use to describe their body image helped to fuel Jess's second book, Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds From Now, which attempts to decode the 'language of fat' and explores how body image controls the way women think about their health, wealth, family, career, and relationships. Both books are available through national retailers.
As a best-selling author, advice columnist and self-esteem expert, Jess has inspired millions of women and teens to become Actionists ® by making positive, proactive choices in their everyday lives. Jess gives advice on topics ranging from body image to relationships, friendships, family issues and media pop culture. Being a conduit for conversation between teens and their parents, Jess shares her unique on-air personality and expertise as the self-esteem expert for The Tyra Banks Show, and makes frequent appearances to discuss women's lifestyle topics on The Today Show and CNN Showbiz Tonight.
She comes to her subject matter organically, having overcome many of today's tough teen issues herself. Her authentic manner of self-disclosure, compassion, and tangible tools of action make Jess a sought after voice for girls and women alike. Jess first tapped into her desire to create social change by parlaying her personal experience and love for theatre by founding the ACT Out Ensemble, a national touring theater company based in Indianapolis. She has authored numerous social issue plays covering topics such as eating disorders, relationships, school violence, date rape and hate crimes. Her work has been used to fuse the gap between healing and action in high profile crisis hotbeds such as Columbine High School following the massacre in 1999.
As a recognized public speaker, Jess has spoken at some of the nation's most prestigious institutes, Fortune 500 corporations, and universities, including Harvard and Yale. She has been a keynote speaker for three Governor's Conferences on Women in the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Jess has also keynoted for National Boys and Girls Club of America, The Junior League, Step Up Women's Network, What Teens Want and Kid Power media conferences. When Jess isn't busy changing the world, she likes to walk on fire!
For more information, visit www.withjess.com.
