11. She’s just 11. And according to the latest Good Childhood Report produced by the Children’s Society, 700,000 girls aged 10-15 across the UK feel the same about their appearance. They also found that 283,000 girls in the same age group say they’re not happy with their overall lives. These are huge numbers. It seems that at such a crucial time of life, nearly a million girls are overwhelmed by the negative perception they have of themselves and their own lives.
Let’s daydream for a moment. What if we could gather those million girls together? What would we do? What would we say? What could we offer? First of all we would need to listen, to hear their stories and allow them space to let their worries surface and be shared. I think we would give them an opportunity to ask the questions they have about the subjects that they’re facing. I think we would introduce those million girls to wholesome role models who could inspire and encourage them. I think we would connect as many of these girls to mentors to challenge them and walk with them through the highs and lows of life. And then we would share with these girls the good news that there is a God who loves them, cares for them, who gave his life to save them, a God who has given them talents and has a plan for their life.
OK, so we can’t gather those million girls together, but right where you are you can begin to tackle this epidemic of hopelessness. We can’t accept it, and just feel sad for them – we have to act. As Matthew Read, chief executive of The Children’s society says: “All children deserve a happy childhood and we must never accept that it is somehow inevitable that so many children in Britain should live in distress.”
I know that working with young people who are struggling can sometimes be a heavy weight to bear. Recently I was asked to go and meet with a teenage girl who was threatening suicide. I spoke to a friend about how unprepared and inadequate I felt, and her advice was incredibly helpful: “Make sure you don’t spend all the time talking about the ‘problem’, because if that’s all you talk about, then you’re reinforcing the fact that all they are is the problem.” What great advice! When we meet with young people it’s so important to get the balance right and model the fact that these young people aren’t all about the ‘issues’ that they have, they’re so much more than that.
We have a great responsibility to help young people navigate and understand their worries. So let’s listen to them, answer the questions they have, connect them with mentors, introduce them to role models, and share with them the life-giving, thirst-quenching message of Jesus.
