Appearance-targeted bullying
Appearance targeted bullying is bullying that targets an aspect of a person's appearance, such as their size, height or disfigurement. It can often be linked with other types of bullying such as racist bullying, disablist bullying, sexist bullying and bullying of LGBT young people. It is often thought of as the most common reason for children experiencing bullying.
Girl walking along a leaf-strewn avenue
More than half (55%) of young people have been bullied about the way they look, with two-fifths of those experiencing this bullying at least once a week, new findings from YMCA England & Wales show.
Most of the bullying focuses on weight and body shape, with 60% of young people admitting they tried to change their appearance after being bullied and 24% 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 9% 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.
Highlighting the devastating effects appearance-based bullying has on young people, the research also revealed that, contrary to popular belief, most young people experience this bullying in person (72%) and not online. A staggering 80% of those getting bullied about the way they look say it takes place in school or college.
Other key findings from the Be Real Campaign’s ‘In Your Face’ research include:
- 54% of young people who experience bullying about the way they look, do so by the age of 10
- 1 in 2 of young people reported becoming anxious as a result of being bullied about the way they look
- 53% of young people think bullies have insecurities about themselves / their own appearance
Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image - Women and Equalities Committee Report 2021
This report followed a call for evidence about body image in young people from the Women and Equalities Committee. It found
- that appearance related bullying is a significant cause of negative body image in young people.
- that WHO reported that children in higher weight categories were 63% more likely to be bullied.
- that appearance related bullying was interlinked with disablist bullying, bullying of those with a disfigurement, racist bullying and bullying of LGBT young people.
- the digital lives of children and young people were exacerbating the problem of poor body image.
It recommended that the forthcoming Online Harms Bill included measures to improve body image in young people and reduce appearance related bullying.
Video about using the Be Real Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools
Video discussing whether today's beauty ideal is out of control.
External Resources
Ditch the Label article in SecEd, 2015
University of Bristol
Ditch the Label
YMCA - Dove 'Be Real' campaign
Birmingham University campaign led by Professor Heather Widdows
House of Commons - Women and Equalities Committee (2021)
Changing Faces
KS2 and KS3 resources, developed with UCL and IoE. Helping students recognise and challenge stereotypes – creating a school where looking different is celebrated and every student is included
Developed with UCL and IoE. Helping teachers examine their own biases around students who look different. Supports understanding and knowledge to prevent bullying and ensure all student succeed