Mindful of Our Boys, Their Bodies, and Their Minds

Written by Monica L. Coleman, Ebony Section, and Michelle White, Dove Self-Esteem Project Cadre Trainers

During the last few years, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has worked throughout the United States to connect educators to its Confident Me! no-cost, researched curriculum, which focuses on body confidence and self-esteem for middle schoolers.  Regardless of where our team has ventured to share the curriculum, we have found it quite common for those who are interested in our work to think that it solely focuses on girls and their body confidence and self-esteem.  There is a notion that body confidence and self-esteem are female gender issues; this, unfortunately, is a misconception that permeates throughout our society.  

Research and evidence show us, however, that the male gender may also have body confidence and self-esteem issues that could impact their mental health and wellbeing. Thus, the Confident Me! free curriculum was developed for both boys and girls.  This blog looks at some recent discoveries and confirmations made that help us better understand how boys view their bodies and how that impacts their minds or mental health.

• When it comes to body dissatisfaction, boys are concerned about specific elements such as height, weight, and muscles.  Given boys’ specific concerns, one study evaluated how using surveys that only assess broad body dissatisfaction are insufficient in learning about body dissatisfaction for boys who want to be more muscular or taller, for example. (Baker, et.al., 2019). In the same article, Baker, et.al. (2019) also note that some boys desire to be smaller, an issue that can usually be detected in surveys that examine broad body dissatisfaction.

• Nearly one out of three adolescent boys want to be bigger.  The ideal body image does not look the same among genders. The ideal male body image in United States pop culture has grown larger and more muscular over time, prompting body dissatisfaction and a desire to gain weight among adolescent males who are normal weight, overweight, and obese according to the body-mass index. (Nagata, et.al., 2019)

• Social media use influences boys in ways that are not always similar to how it influences girls. One study showed how male and female adolescents internalized what they see on their screens and how that can lead to depression, body dissatisfaction, and dietary constraints. By and large, the pathways looked similar.  One thing stood out, however: Among boys, and not among girls, social media use revealed a direct effect of both internalization of the muscular ideal and internalization of the social media ideal. (Rodgers, et.al., 2020)

• Boys can carry their body image issues into adulthood.  One study sought to explore the potential of lasting emotional impact that body image concerns and found that early-childhood negative emotional memories related to body image may lead to feelings of shame related to body image in adulthood for men.  Body image can be a significant source of shame because it is a part of self that can be easily seen and judged by others. Ultimately, shame can turn into negative long-lasting effects on physical and psychological wellbeing. (Oliveira, Trindade, & Ferreira, 2018)

• Self-kindness may be a pathway toward mitigating body image issues among boys.  One study found that boys who learned skills to reduce judgment toward themselves and others while focusing on developing a sense of belonging coped better with body-image experiences. (Rodgers, et.al., 2017)

Given this information, we know there is a need to be mindful when it comes to boys and their body confidence and self-esteem.  From action figures to social media, there are ample opportunities for young boys to see images that can make them think negatively about their bodies. With summer approaching and everyone spending more time at home during COVID-19, now may be a good time to speak to the young guys you know about appreciating their bodies and developing self-kindness. Conversations make connections and are key in checking in with boys about their body image. 

Starting this conversation can be a little awkward and boys can be more reluctant to talk about self-esteem. Some tips to help the conversation go smoother are to: stay positive, set time for the conversation, listen, and come prepared.  If you need ideas to get the conversation started, either email contact the Dove Self Esteem Project at info@cairnguidance.com or visit the website at Dove Self-Esteem Project. 

References

Baker, J. H., Higgins Neyland, M. K., Thornton, L. M., Runfola, C. D., Larsson, H., Lichtenstein, P., & Bulik, C. (2019). Body dissatisfaction in adolescent boys. Developmental psychology, 55(7), 1566.

Nagata, J. M., Bibbins-Domingo, K., Garber, A. K., Griffiths, S., Vittinghoff, E., & Murray, S. B. (2019). Boys, bulk, and body ideals: Sex differences in weight-gain attempts among adolescents in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 64(4), 450-453.

Oliveira, S., Trindade, I., & Ferreira, C. (2018). Explaining male body attitudes: the role of early peer emotional experiences and shame. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 23(6), 807-815.

Rodgers, R. F., Franko, D. L., Donovan, E., Cousineau, T., Yates, K., McGowan, K., … & Lowy, A. S. (2017). Body image in emerging adults: The protective role of self-compassion. Body image, 22, 148-155.

Rodgers, R. F., Slater, A., Gordon, C. S., McLean, S. A., Jarman, H. K., & Paxton, S. J. (2020). A Biopsychosocial Model of Social Media Use and Body Image Concerns, Disordered Eating, and Muscle-Building Behaviors among Adolescent Girls and Boys. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 1-11.