Self-esteem: self-worth, self-confidence, identity, self-belief.

 

Esteem Designz Program has been designed to provide a solution to the ever-increasing pressures and confronting issues girls in our community face.

 
Teenagers are increasingly being discontent and detached from life.
 
In a culture that dictates how they should look, act, and live in order to be enough, many have lost their true sense of worth and identity.

 
Studies untaken by the CRC Health Group, indicate that one in five suffer from emotional or behavioural problems with little or no intervention or treatment, resorting to self-destructive ways to deals with life (Group 2009) (Reasoner 2007).

 

To effectively respond to the problems teens face, the underlying issue must be addressed, that of low self-esteem, the primary origin of problematic behaviors (Candito 1996).

 

This is what Esteem Designz Program is passionate about providing a solution for.

 

These are the main contributors to poor self-esteem (Aid 2009):

  • Deceiving messages of perfection through the media
  • Perfect princess syndrome
  • Constant comparison
  • Peer pressure
  • Unrealistic expectations
  • Girls not being confident or knowing who they are no self identity, struggle to be themselves, pressured into things in an effort to be accepted or acknowledged self-esteem decrease further no healthy emotional release spiral effect.
  • Criticism
  • Feeling unloved and unvalued
  • Appearance
  • Bullying
  • Little resilience and coping skills
  • Not feeling good enough
  • Friendship issues
  • Self-absorbed
  • Unable to cope with life’s challenges, and change
  • Pressure in popularity, athletics, school performance

Leads to disappointment, loneliness, self-destructive behaviours exclusion, depression, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, violent behaviour, substance abuse, careless or pressured sexual activity, poor social skills and relationships, joblessness, no motivation, poor mental and physical health, hopelessness, disengagement…

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
75% of girls suffering from low self-esteem are engaging in self-destructive behaviours, depression, self-harm and even suicide.
 
Our society does not place enough value on a girl’s worth. Rather our media-driven society aims to mould a girl into a media image instead of encouraging a discovery of her own identity and value.

 

Esteem Designz Program strives to provide a solution to this debilitating problem, allowing girls to be free to discover their unique characteristics and identity and find value and worth in who they are.

 

Ruth studied a Bachelor of Design at College of Fine Arts, UNSW, where she witnessed the devastating impacts the media and marketing has on teenage girls: how it strips away her identity and value to buy into a false media image with its resulting pressures.

 

Design can be used to create change, provide direction, meaning and hope in people’s lives. Design can support and empower, enhance and eliminate, uplift and inspire. Design can give choice, freedom and ability, breakthrough and restoration and ultimately meet needs.

 

This inspired Ruth to create a solution to this great need in OUR community.

 

Devastating Statistics

We CAN do something to change the future for girls!!!
 

70% of girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way.
 
Over 70% of girls age 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities, such as attending school, when they feel bad about their looks.
 
Only 2-4% of girls around the world consider themselves beautiful. This means 96-98% of girls don’t think they are beautiful.
 
Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable using the word beautiful to describe themselves.
 
80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty.
 
62% of Girls are insecure about themselves.
 
6 in 10 (60%) girls stop doing what they love because they feel bad about their looks.
 
1 out of 2 teens state they have personally struggled with mental illness at some point.
 
Over half of all teens (52%) feel that the media pressures them to change their body image.
 
56% of teens feel that the media’s advertisements are the main cause of low self-esteem.
 
91% of teens have been a victim of bullying.
 
Suicide attempts

  • For every completed suicide, it is estimated that as many as 30 people attempt.
  • That’s around 200 attempts per day.
  • That’s more than one new attempt in Australia every 10 minutes.
  • It is estimated that around 250 people make a suicide plan every day.
  • It is estimated that around 1,000 people think about suicide every day.

We all have a role to play in suicide prevention.
 
In Australia, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 10-24 years age group.