Some Facts

Low self-esteem is a critical issue facing tweens & teens today. It has been proven that low self-esteem affects learning and can lead to such problems as bullying, delinquency, unhealthy relationships, eating disorders, violence, drug abuse and suicide.

     Bullying:  Approximately 864,000 teens report staying home one day a month because they fear for their safety. Source: CDC   5.7 million kids and teens are bullies, have been bullied, or both. A national survey of kids in grades 6-10, found 13 percent reported bullying others, 11 percent reported being the target of bullies, and another 6 percent said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves. Experts say the facts are troubling, because bullying too often leads to violence, loss of self-esteem, depression and even suicide. Source: National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center

     Bullies Target Obese Kids - In a study conducted by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Teachers reported that 34 percent of the study children had been bullied, and mothers reported that 45 percent of the children had been bullied, while 25 percent of the children themselves said they had been bullied. The study was led by Julie C. Lumeng, who is an assistant professor at the university's Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and also the lead author of the paper. She says that one of the reasons bullying is so tightly-watched is because it promotes feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness in victims. In some cases, these symptoms can get so severe that children commit suicide to escape. Bullying is worse today than in the past, because the Internet allows bullies to follow their victims throughout the day.

     Obesity and Eating Disorders: A 2003 survey reported 13.5 percent of high school students as obese. Overall obesity reported in high school boys was 17.3 percent, nearly double that of girls, which was 9.4 percent. In the United States, conservative estimates indicate that, after puberty, 5-10 million girls and women and 1 million boys and men are struggling with eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or borderline conditions. Source: National Eating Disorders Association 33% of Anorexia respondents reported the onset of their illness between the ages of 11-15 and 43% reported the onset between the ages of 16-20. Source:  ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)

     Suicide: Youth suicide rates have tripled since 1970. Source: Teenagesuicide.com Suicide is becoming more common every year in the United States. In fact, only car accidents and homicides (murders) kill more people between the ages of 15 and 24, making suicide the third leading cause of death in teens and overall in youths ages 10 to 19 years old. Source: CDC 2004   

     Drop Out Rate: According to most estimates, today's teenagers are dropping out of high school at an alarmingly high rate -- about 30 percent, a statistic that researchers say is very close to what it was in the 1970s, when the educational reform movement was getting under way.
That's across the board -- big city or small town, urban or rural district. And researchers say that among African-Americans and Latinos, the numbers are as high as 50 percent. Indianapolis Star Tribune

Teens are in dire need of a safe environment to learn how to respect and value themselves as unique gifted and lovable youth. Hey U G L Y is meeting that demand. 

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