A STAGGERING half of all teenage girls are said to be unable to cope with the pressures of life, a survey has revealed. Gayle McBain looks at the trials and tribulations of being a young girl in 2005.
TEENAGERS are notoriously difficult to deal with, as their hormones start to rage and they turn, often overnight, into an alien species.
We all know that teenagers are supposed to be grumpy and difficult. But young girls today are feeling the pressure much more than ever before, according to a study commissioned by the teenage magazine Bliss.
Worryingly, many are even suffering from depression.
The study questioned 2,000 girls with an average age of 14, and the results give an insight into the minds of confused and worried youngsters, many of whom feel they have burdens too heavy to bear.
According to school nurse Jill Davies, who is based at the Pikes Lane Medical Centre in Bolton, emotionally-charged teenage girls are frequently asking for help.
She said most Bolton secondary schools had drop-in centres, where students could talk to a nurse at a specified time. Emotional issues, particularly among girls, were commonplace.
The Bliss survey found that the issues sending teenage girls over the edge were parental divorce - 37 per cent of the girls questioned were from a broken home - homework and coursework, alcohol and drugs, bullying, and pressure to look good.
A high proportion of teenage girls - 60 per cent - said they felt insecure, and one in 10 admitted to being "an emotional wreck".
Only 41 per cent saw themselves as a "reasonably confident person", and 59 per cent were plagued with self-doubt.
Nine out of 10 teenage girls said they had felt depressed, and 42 per cent said they regularly felt unhappy or miserable, with more than a third currently feeling so.
Six per cent felt life was not worth living.
Feeling too much pressure to succeed academically affected 62 per cent of the girls. Too much school work was the reason given by 84 per cent, broken homes and divorce were a problem for 52 per cent, and the easy availability of drugs and alcohol was a big issue for 42 per cent.
The pressure to look good was a huge problem, with 94 per cent saying they felt affected.
Around half with a step-parent did not like them, and four out of 10 said they did not have a "happy family". Only 32 per cent of the girls questioned said they felt "greatly loved" by their parents.
Money did not seem to be a problem, with only 10 per cent thinking their family had a "below average" income.
School problems figured largely in the survey. Only seven per cent of girls said they enjoyed going to lessons, although 67 per cent enjoyed seeing their friends at school. More than eight out of 10 said they thought there was too much GCSE coursework.
Half of all teenage girls said they could not cope with the pressures of modern life, and two-thirds thought their parents had had an easier time when they were young.
The girls proved they were in touch with political and social problems, with three-quarters saying the state of the world - including war, disaster and famine - got them down. Nine out of 10 thought the government and society did not care about young people.
When they are feeling down, 68 per cent of girls turn to their friends for help.
Only a third felt they could talk to their parents.
Bullying is also a big issue, with two-thirds of girls saying they had been bullied. Respondents were most likely to have been verbally taunted (88 per cent) or generally intimidated (61 per cent), but 31 per cent had also been physically attacked.
They are bullied because of their physical appearance (65 per cent), because they are clever (33 per cent), or because of their clothes (19 per cent. Only one per cent said they had been bullied because of their ethnic origin.
Lisa Smosarski, editor of Bliss magazine, said: "We live in a rough, tough world and there are no society safeguards any more to protect young people.
"Teenage girls are expected to cope with a cocktail of broken homes, endless school work, emotional pressures and the availability of drink and drugs.
"It's a cocktail that is seriously damaging the psyche of teenage girls."
She also blamed adults for piling their own problems on their daughters.
"Adults have inflicted their confused world on children," she said. "Many teenage girls now end up acting as relationship counsellors to their parents, who turn to them for comfort when their relationships fail or they feel disappointed with life.
"Many parents now treat their children as best friends, whereas most teenagers want a solid mother and father figure."
Leading psychotherapist Tina Radziszewicz said: "We live in a society where adults deal with the stresses of modern life by misusing alcohol and drugs and jumping from one sexual partner to another.
"Sadly, young people are copying what they see around them. This risky behaviour brings a whole new set of problems to teenage girls already struggling with worries about their exams, parents' relationships, boyfriends, bullying and the pressure to look perfect.
"Rather than blaming teenagers, everyone, from parents to the government, needs to wake up to the fact that the emotional and mental health of our young people is in crisis.
"Teenagers need us to listen and they need our help now."
The Parallel is a health service available to young people in Bolton aged 11 to 19. The service, based in Churchgate, offers a "holistic approach" to all areas of young people's health, including general health issues, sexual and emotional problems.
A spokesman said: "There appears to more pressure on young girls today than ever before. There seems to be huge pressure on them to achieve at school.
"Body image is also a huge problem. They see what they perceive to be a perfect young woman - who is most probably underweight - on the front cover of a magazine, and they want to look like that.
"We try to explain to girls when they come to us that it's not about being thin, it's about body mass index and being a healthy weight."
Teenagers looking for help, advice and someone to talk to can contact Connexions, in The Wellsprings, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton.The organisation can help with issues including relationships, health and drugs. Ring 0800 052 559, email info@connexions-bolton.org.uk or call in at the office.
Bolton Samaritans, based in Bark Street East, can offer a non-judgemental, confidential listening ear to people, including teenagers. Ring 01204 521200 or contact the national helpline on 08457 909090.
Childline is another organisation offering someone to talk to, confidentially, and has a 24-hour helpline. Ring 0800 1111.
The Parallel, based in Churchgate, can be contacted on 01204 526805. An information line is on 01204 527722
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