Body image describes how we think and feel about our bodies. These thoughts and feelings can impact both how we treat our own bodies, the thoughts, biases and judgements we may hold about bodies that do not look or function like our own, and how we connect and interact with the world around us.

The Body Happy Organisation’s resources, CPD training and student workshops are designed as a preventative tool to body image distress, to promote a culture of positive body image in educational settings, helping to equip teaching staff with the knowledge, skills and tools to support and nurture body esteem in the student population.

It may be possible that as a school works to proactively create a culture of body kindness that nurtures body esteem amongst the student population, some students may find they have the vocabulary and awareness to vocalise concerns or seek support for individualised body image disturbances and/or related issues. This is a positive and important first step for those pupils who may be struggling and need more targeted intervention and support.

These aftercare instructions have been written by Body Happy Org’s multi-disciplinary team to enable schools and the wider school community of parents and caregivers to identify signs that may indicate that a student may be in need of such support, as well as signposting and advice for where to access such help. 

We recommend schools include their community of parents and caregivers in the work of positive body image promotion, which includes raising awareness of how families can identify potential body image concerns in their children. This tool will help you as a school to communicate with families, and can be shared with the school community of parents and caregivers.