+

JUST LOVE YOURSELF CAMPAIGN

Advocacy Project | 2015 | West Seattle High School
Kelly Boyer

+ West Seattle H.S. ---

While teachers play an important

role, the development of a healthy
body image is a protective factor
that can be promoted individually
+ and systemically by school
counselors.

(Akos & Levitt, 2002)

+
Body Image + Self Esteem
! Defined

by students in 9th-12th grade

Confidence
Value
How you see yourself
How others see you
Self Respect
The way you look
Subjective
Pride

+
Girls vs. Boys
Influenced by body image:

28% to 55% vs. 17% to 30 %

(Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2001)

Needs Assessment
! Who:
!

All 9th grade students

Group of girls aged 15-18 as part of a six week girls

group on this topic

! Why:
!

Sought to understand how these groups are

influenced

Do they feel supported in the school on this topic?

Pre + Post Survey

The data:
I am ALWAYS comfortable with my body image.

Always

Boys (n=50)
Girls (n=66)
Other (n=28)

The data:
I am SOMETIMES comfortable with my body image.

Sometimes

Boys (n=50)
Girls (n=66)
Other (n=28)

The data:
I appreciate over 80 percent of my body.

>80%

Boys (n=50)
Girls (n=66)
Other (n=28)

2015 Data:

24% of the students surveyed always feel

comfortable talking to an adult in the
school about topics related to body image
& self esteem.
43% always know what resources are
available to them related to body image &
self esteem.

Vision Data:
Within 5 years, these
percentages will rise to
over 50% for every
grade level.

Commitment to Yearly Benchmarks

!

I would like to increase these percentages on those two areas

on the body image and self-esteem survey by 5% each year.

Year One:
!
!
!
!

Implement interventions
Be visible to students
Team up with Teen Health Center, health teachers & PE teachers
Begin to break down the harmful societal messages these
students are seeing and hearing about obtaining an unrealistic
version of themselves physically

The Mission:
! Cause

awareness of positive language towards

ourselves and others

! Increase

the visibility of support throughout the

school
! Increase

the conversations on self care and

affirmations

The Interventions

Survey
Girls Group
Posters + Flyers
Announcements
Body Image + Self Esteem Panel
Peer Mentoring (future use)
Lunch time activities (future use)

Where + How
!

Pre Test

Self-referral and peer/staff referral for girls group

Consult and collaborate with health teacher

!
!

Data
Ideas for panel members
! Students, teacher, community member, counselor, college coach

Student participation for posters, flyers, sticky notes and

announcements

Every health class participates in panel for full class period

!

Counselor filters through questions ahead of time

Post Test

+ Evaluation of

Immediate Outcomes
! Sense of connection
! Awareness of others in the school
with similar experiences
! Allows students to have a voice
! Student leadership

Proximal Outcomes
! Awareness of the schools support of
emotional health and well being
! Fosters collaboration between staff
members

Distal Outcomes
! Increase in positive and collaborative
school culture and climate

Interventions

+ I feel comfortable talking about body image with

adults at my school.

9th grade responses post Just Love Week

These students reported very often to always feeling
comfortable

Male

Female
Post Just Love

38% 47%

64%

Pre Just Love

68%

Other

57%

33%

Post Just Love

Pre Just Love

Post Just Love

Pre Just Love

+ I feel comfortable talking about body image with

adults at my school.

10th-12th grade responses post Girls Group

These students reported very often to always feeling
comfortable

Girls Group

50%

75%

Post
Pre

+ I have the knowledge about what resources are

available regarding health at the school.
9th grade responses post Just Love Week
These students reported very often to always knowing
what resources are available

Female

78%

100%

Male

Post Just Love

Pre Just Love

86%

95%

Other

70%

67%

Post Just Love

Pre Just Love

Post Just Love

Pre Just Love

+ I have the knowledge about what resources are

available regarding health at my school.
10th-12th grade responses post Girls Group
These students reported very often to always knowing
what resources we have at the school
7
6
5
4

Pre-Test

Post Test

2
1
0
Girls Group

+
Open ended feedback
from girls group:

What support or resources do you wish

would be available at the school?
!

More girls groups.

Have more groups like this one.

Peer mentoring.

More groups.

Counselors for students emotional

needs, more school awareness on the
issue of a tough topic.

Barriers + Risks
What Ill do differently next year --!

Assessment

Time Management

Equity provide opportunity to more students

Next Year:
!

Classroom guidance prior to panel

Craft different pre/post survey

More engagement from students in class

More activities during the week

Invite staff to panel

+
What I learned:

School Counselor
! Collaboration
!

Importance of student leadership

Community Resources

Visibility

Facilitation of conversation on this

topic important

Advocate
! Students ability to use their own
voice
!
!
!

Consultation
Cast net wide for similar projects
Utilize available resources and seek
out new ones

References
Akos, P. & Levitt, D. (2002). Promoting healthy body image in middle school.
Professional school counseling, 6(2), 138.
Leslie J. Heinberg and J. Kevin Thompson (1995). Body Image and Televised Images of
Thinness and Attractiveness: A Controlled Laboratory Investigation. Journal
of Social and Clinical Psychology: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 325-338.
Weaver, K. & Pye, K. (2010). Its not about food!: Peer facilitation for eating issues.
The international journal of interdisciplinary social sciences, 5(3), 380-406.