uniquely ME! Survey Reveals Kids' Concerns

September 16, 2003

A new RoperASW survey on self-esteem conducted for Unilever and Girl Scouts of the USA, in conjunction with their uniquely ME! program, produced some interesting findings! The survey asked 800 girls and boys ages 8–12 around the nation a few questions this summer. Here are the key findings:

New School Year Concerns

69% of pre-teens say they are worried about having harder homework. 60% are worried about getting good grades, while 40% are worried about having a new teacher.

43% of pre-teens are "very/a little worried" about making their parents proud of them.

The majority of pre-teens say they are "not at all worried" about having cool clothes (80%) or being cool (73%) and making new friends (73%). Only 4% of pre-teens say they are "very worried" about any of these issues.

Just over half of children interviewed ages 8–9 (51%) say they are "very/a little worried" about other kids trying to get them to do things they shouldn't. Children in this age group are twice as likely as older children to say they are "very worried" about peer pressure (22% vs. 11%).

Note: Three options were provided for these questions—"very worried," "a little worried," and "not at all worried." "Very/a little worried" is the total of "very worried" and "a little worried."

Self-Approval

83% of pre-teens say they like themselves "a lot" (82% of girls and 83% of boys).

Girls are least satisfied with their physical features. Over half of girls surveyed (54%) say they like how much they weigh only "a little" or "not at all." 15% are completely dissatisfied with their weight.

Four in 10 girls are dissatisfied with their height and their overall appearance. 33% of girls only like their looks "a little," and 8% don't like their appearance at all.

Girls are most satisfied with their social and academic traits including: how many friends they have (78%), their ability to make new friends (77%), how smart they are (75%), and how well they do in school (73%).

Approximately 90% of pre-teens say that how they are treated by adults—be it the adults in their household (94%), their teachers (95%), or other adults (90%)—makes them feel good about themselves.

Find out more about the survey and the uniquely ME! program in the Program Opportunities: Leadership and Self-Esteem section.