- Ask any parents with young children the challenges they face in the present-day world vis-à-vis body weight or lack of weight or skin colour or even sporting a particular haircut. The peer pressure placed on the growing children by the contemporary issues afflicting the present generation is well known. Reams have been written about the way the supposedly advanced and modern looking world, where stereotyping assumes greater importance than the practicality of addressing the matter with sensitivity and deeper comprehension. We all have grown up facing one or the other challenges for a particular body type. Children being children will indulge in taunting, calling names, berating, shaming, and some such measures against their friends/mates.
PC: drtulikamindcare.com
- Reminisce how we all were subjected to these innocuous innuendos, banter, and of course, friendly name calling which was always considered as part of our growing up. Yes, occasionally we reported the matter to the school authorities when the situation went out of control, resulting in the parents being summoned. However, the elders, including the teachers and the parents, were kind enough to acknowledge the matter on hand with great dexterity and pass on sage counselling to all concerned. The matter didn’t go beyond being chastised gently by the school authorities, which was duly complied with. Nonetheless, things have changed for the worse currently when the issue is no longer considered as mere innocuous exchanges between the children/students.
PC: CNN
- The pressure to remain ideal fitting into a stereotypical image as espoused by society, plays a significant role in deciding how a particular child handles the situation. Body shaming, especially has assumed significant importance when children of a young age tend to take the matter to the heart, leading to several complications. The psychological effect on children subjected to body shaming has been highlighted by the authorities on the matter, leading to stunted growth in their overall development. Of late, it’s becoming increasingly common to witness more children being prescribed to wear glasses, which itself is inviting ridicule/name calling from other children. The relentless pressure to remain an ideally brilliant child all around only exacerbates the situation.
PC: BroadcastMed
This is where all concerned stakeholders, viz. parents, elders, schoolteachers/authorities, medical practitioners, counsellors, friends, and others, are expected to play a very critical role to ensure every child is treated with par with any other rather than single out for being categorized into a particular mold as defined by societal norms. It’s extremely important to imbibe in every child that they are unique in whatever/however they are and must be made to believe that they are second to none. The onus squarely rests on the parents to keep instilling self-belief that would go a long way in building up the required self-esteem in children. Why curtail a child’s natural growth prospects by being insensitive and irresponsible? Society must lead from the front on this aspect.
