Negative Self Concept in Teen Girls

For girls, the teenage years are anything but smooth sailing. Thanks to a wide variety of influences and changes, a teen girl might go from being happy and confident to nursing serious self-doubts and a negative self concept. As a parent, it's your duty to ensure that your teen has the tools necessary to feel good about herself, her body and her abilities to help increase her sense of self-worth and minimize the negative effects of a poor self concept.

  1. Dangers

    • The dangers of negative self worth in teens can affect the rest of your daughter's life. A report by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund found that teen girls who have poor self-confidence are four times more likely to participate in activities with boys that they later regret. And, 75 percent of girls with a negative self image said they engaged in negative behavior, like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking or disordered eating, compared to just 25 percent of girls with high self-esteem. Having a poor self concept doesn't just affect your teen's mind, but also her actions.

    Influences

    • If you're looking for something or someone to blame, you have a wide range of influences that could be hurting your teen's self-esteem. The media, for one, can be a culprit -- images of perfect models or actresses in magazines or on TV can make your teen feel less than. Puberty also plays a part. Your teen's development -- or lack thereof -- can have her constantly comparing herself to her peers. Of course, those same peers can also hurt her confidence, particularly if she's bullied at school.

    Asking Questions

    • In the same Dove survey, teen girls said their biggest wish was better communication with parents. You have the opportunity to help your teen realign her self concept and learn the truth about her influences and herself. It all starts with asking the right questions to open the door to conversation. If your daughter says she likes a particular singer, ask why -- is it her talents or her looks? Or, ask questions without a yes or no answer to get your teen talking, like "If you could have any three traits, what would they be?" Talking to your teen about her self concept helps you understand her better and create a conversation over a healthier self image.

    Qualities vs. Appearance

    • Teen girls often put a heavy emphasis on their looks -- anyone who's ever shared a bathroom with one knows this. But as a parent, it's your job to focus on her qualities, rather than her appearance. Those are the innate talents she has that make her an individual, like her ability to make friends, sense of humor or hard work at school. As you avoid praising her on those things she can't control -- her looks -- you teach her that her achievements are more important, helping her to build on the foundation for a more positive self concept.

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