The Youth Select Committee is conducting an inquiry into Body Image and the impact it has on the wellbeing of children and young people. This topical issue was chosen by the Youth Select Committee after almost one million young people voted it as one of the top ten issues in the UK Youth Parliament’s ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot in 2016.
Following its call for written evidence on the topic of Body Image, the Committee heard evidence from experts including bloggers, social media companies and academics on Friday 7 July. On Friday 14 July the Committee will hear further evidence from teachers, mental health professionals, young people and government officials, inside a Committee Room at the Houses of Parliament which is usually used by MPs.
Just like UK Parliament Select Committees, the Youth Select Committee will produce a report based on its findings, which will be sent to the Government for comment. The eleven committee members are aged 13-18 and include Members of the Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors, a Youth Mayor and representatives from each of the devolved nations.
Thomas Copeland, 18, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said: “This year the Youth Select Committee will be examining Body Image. Body Image has become an issue of considerable concern for young people, so it is crucial that they are given a voice on this important subject. We are really looking forward to hearing what young people and professionals highlight as the key areas of potential policy improvement throughout the inquiry.”
Friday 14 July – Grimond Room, Portcullis House
10.30am
Panel 1: Mental health and education professionals
– Liz Ritchie, Body Image therapist and psychotherapist
– Rosamund McNeil, Head of Education and Equality Policy, National Union of Teachers
– Natasha Devon MBE, Founder, Self-Esteem Team
11.30am
Panel 2: Young people
– Cameron Wood, Project Leader, Young Person’s Network, Herefordshire
– Susie Williams, NHS Youth Forum
– Kirstie Stage, Member of the UK Youth Parliament for West Wiltshire
1.30pm
Panel 3: Government officials
– Emily Antcliffe, Deputy Director for Mental Health, Department of Health
– Tara Kaufmann, Head of Women’s Engagement and Gender Representation in the Government Equalities Office
The evidence sessions will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis. Entry is via Portcullis House and it is advisable to allow 30 minutes to pass through security checks.
The Committee’s first oral evidence session received coverage from BBC News, ITV New and Channel 5 News. You can see some of the coverage below:
Body confidence expert says 30-70% of young people have low bo…
Body appearance professor warns that images posted online are cultivated saying even our friends might take 10 photos before selecting it, then editing it with filters and this causes body confidence issues that is not real life.
Posted by Channel 5 News on Friday, July 7, 2017
Youth Select Committee: How society views skin colour
The Youth Select Committee has grilled bloggers about body image following a noticeable increase in body confidence issues in the UK.This blogger speaks about the way in which skin colour is perceived.
Posted by ITV News on Friday, July 7, 2017
Last year the Youth Select Committee conducted an inquiry focusing on the topic of Racism and Racial Discrimination. The 2016 Committee took evidence over 4 oral evidence sessions and received written submissions from 67 contributors. Witnesses included teachers, young people, charities, academics, service providers and the Mayor of Bristol. Read last year’s Committee report, which contains a variety of recommendations for Government, and the Government’s response, which offers an answer to each of the Youth Select Committee’s recommendations.
Find out more about the Youth Select Committee
The Government have announced a new pledge to ensure every secondary school in the country will be offering Mental Health First Aid training by 2020. The British Youth Council welcome the Government’s announcement, which follows the Youth Select Committee’s recommendation for mandatory training for teachers on young people’s mental health.
The British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee published its report in November 2015, following an inquiry which gathered evidence from a range of witnesses, including charities, young people, academics, Ministers and health and education professionals. The Committee offered recommendations across three key areas: funding and the state of services, a role for education and awareness, stigma and digital culture.
The Committee were very clear the training should focus on how to respond to a young person who asks about mental health, how to spot problems and where to refer young people when they become concerned.
Jake Pitt, Vice Chair – Campaigns and Communications, British Youth Council said: “This is great news for students across the country! It’s absolutely paramount school teachers are equipped with the correct training to support the mental health and wellbeing of their students.”
Although the Government have taken on a number of the Youth Select Committee’s recommendations the British Youth Council will continue to ensure the Government prioritise young people’s health. The Youth Select Committee investigate a different issue each year and this year they’re examining body image and its effects on young people.
Read the Youth Select Committee’s Report ‘Young People’s Mental Health’
Bloggers, social media companies and academics are among those giving evidence to the Youth Select Committee on 7 and 14 July. The Committee is conducting an inquiry into Body Image and the impact it has on the well-being of children and young people. This topical issue was chosen by the Youth Select Committee, after almost one million young people voted it as one of the top ten issues in the UK Youth Parliament’s Make Your Mark ballot in 2016.
Parliament’s annual Youth Select Committee gives young people the opportunity to scrutinise and hold inquiries into topics of importance to them. Following its call for written evidence on the topic of Body Image, the 2017 Youth Select Committee will be hearing from a range of witnesses on 7 and 14 July inside Committee Rooms at the Houses of Parliament, which are usually used by MPs.
The two evidence sessions are open to the public and will be made available on BBC Parliament. Just like UK Parliament Select Committees, the Youth Select Committee will produce a report based on its findings, which will be sent to the Government for comment.
The eleven committee members are aged 13-18 and include Members of the Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors, a Youth Mayor and representatives from each of the devolved nations.
Thomas Copeland, 18, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said: “This year the Youth Select Committee will be examining Body Image. Body Image has become an issue of considerable concern for young people, so it is crucial that they are given a voice on this important subject. We are really looking forward to hearing what young people and professionals highlight as the key areas of potential policy improvement throughout the inquiry.”
DAY 1: Friday 7 July – Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
10.30am
Panel 1: Academics
–Dr Phillippa Diedrichs, Centre for Appearance Research
– Professor Jessica Ringrose, Institute for Education, UCL
– Professor Peter Fonagy, Professor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Developmental Science, UCL, Chief Executive Officer, Anna Freud Centre and NHS England Clinical Advisor
11.30am
Panel 2: Civil Society groups
– Shirley Cramer CBE, CEO Royal Society for Public Health
– Liam Preston, Senior Parliamentary and Policy Officer, YMCA / Be Real Campaign
– Elena Veris Reynolds, Advocate, Girlguiding
– Kate Dale, Strategic Lead, Brand And Digital, Sport England
1.30pm
Panel 3: Social media users
– Harnaam Kaur – (Instagram)
– Danny Bowman- (Twitter)
– Stephanie Yeboah – (“Nerd About Town” blog)
– Bethany Rutter – (“Arched Eyebrow” blog)
– Chidera Eggerue – (“The Slumflower” blog)
2.30pm
Panel 4: Social media companies
– Karim Palant, Public Policy Manager UK – Facebook / Instagram
DAY 2: Friday 14 July – Grimond Room, Portcullis House
10.30am
Panel 1: Mental health and education professionals
– Liz Ritchie, Body Image Therapist
– Rosamund McNeil, Head of Education and Equality Policy, National Union of Teachers
– Natasha Devon, Co-Founder, Self-Esteem Team
11.30am
Panel 2: Young people
– Cameron Wood, Project Leader, Young Person’s Network, Herefordshire
– Kirstie Stage, UK Youth Parliament
– Susie Williams, NHS Youth Forum
1.30pm
Panel 3: Government officials
– Witnesses to be confirmed.
The evidence sessions will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis. Entry is via Portcullis House and it is advisable to allow 30 minutes to pass through security checks.
The British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee today (Friday 19th May 2017) announces a new inquiry into body image. The Committee is calling for evidence from a wide range of witnesses, including organisations and interested parties, as well as young people who have been affected by body image issues.
The Youth Select Committee, now in its sixth year, is a British Youth Council initiative supported by the House of Commons. The eleven committee members are aged 14-18 and include Members of the Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors, a Youth Mayor and representatives from each of the devolved nations. Body image was one of the top ten issues voted for by almost one million young people in UK Youth Parliament’s Make Your Mark ballot in 2016.
The committee will look at issues including:
- Does the Government have a responsibility to discourage the use of social media, the internet and communications platforms in ways which promote poor body image? What should it be doing in this regard?
- Do internet companies, social media platforms or other platforms have a responsibility to tackle trends which entrench poor body image? What are they already doing in this area? What more should they be doing?
- Are particular groups of young people particularly prone to poor body image, or less likely to seek help? What causes these trends?
- To what extent is dissatisfaction with body image contributing to the increase in mental health problems amongst children and young people?
Thomas Copeland, 18, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said: “This year the Youth Select Committee will be examining Body Image. Body Image has become an issue of considerable concern for young people, so it is crucial that they are given a voice on this important subject. We are really looking forward to hearing what young people and professionals highlight as the key areas of potential policy improvement throughout the inquiry.”
The Committee’s call for evidence closes on 16th June 2017 and the Youth Select Committee will hold oral evidence sessions in the House of Commons on 7th and 14th July 2017.
Find out more about the Youth Select Committee.
The Government has today (Tuesday 7th February 2017) released its official response to the British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee Report – ‘Young People and the Issues of Racism and Religious Discrimination’. In an unprecedented move, the joint response has been issued by three departments including the Department for Education, Home Office and Department for Communities and Local Government. The response states the Government’s commitment to building ‘a country that works for everyone’.
The joint Government response, which offers an answer to each of the Youth Select Committee’s recommendations, makes a commitment to support schools to produce their own codes of practice, bringing together the various statutory duties and policies, to set out the principles for a whole school approach to inclusivity and tolerance. The Government has also welcomed Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton’s proposal to the establish a national hate crime advisory group.
The response follows the Youth Select Committee’s inquiry which considered both written and oral evidence and concluded that racist taunting was being dismissed as banter in schools across the UK. In the report, published in November 2016 the Committee offered recommendations pertaining to the level and quality of awareness and education in schools, the prevalence of racism and religious discrimination and how organisations and young people are attempting to tackle it, how the issues can be tackled at a local level by communities and how tackling racism and religious discrimination should be approached at a national level by the Government.
Throughout the inquiry, evidence was gathered from a range of witnesses, including charities, young people, academics, Ministers and education professionals. The inquiry was triggered after the issue topped the UK Youth Parliament’s Make Your Mark ballot in 2015 of 969,992 young people in the UK.
The Youth Select Committee have made it clear that in order to tackle racism and religious discrimination changes must be made to the PSHE syllabus. Despite not agreeing, the Government have stated they are ‘actively considering the case for further action on PHSE’, a message which represents a change in tone in the Government’s response on PSHE lessons.
During the inquiry, which took place in the wake of ‘post-Brexit racism’, the Government published their Hate Crime Action Plan which looks to focuses on reducing hate crime, increasing reporting, and improving support for victims. The Government have made it clear that they are invested in tackling racism and religious discrimination, and the British Youth Council will be looking to the Government’s response to the Casey Review, which is due to be released in Spring 2017, to see what steps the Government
Bronagh Hughes, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said:
“The Youth Select Committee welcomes the Government’s swift and comprehensive response to our report published late last year, ‘Young People and the Issue of Racism and Religious Discrimination’, and is particularly appreciative of the cross-departmental nature of the response we have received.
“Whilst we do wish that more of our recommendations could have been supported, we were particularly pleased to read of the Department of Education’s consideration of further action on the teaching of PSHE, and the Government’s welcome of the establishment of a national hate crime Independent Advisory Group for young people. These are issues that are very important to all members of the Youth Select Committee.”
Find out more about the Youth Select Committee
Download the Youth Select Committee Report ‘Young People and the Issues of Racism and Religious Discrimination’
Download Government response to Youth Select Committee Report ‘Young People and the Issues of Racism and Religious Discrimination’
As Chair of the Youth Select Committee on Young People’s Mental Health, I warmly welcomed Theresa May’s pledge to overhaul mental health and to give parity of esteem for children and young people’s mental health with their physical health.
The Youth Select Committee is a British Youth Council initiative, supported by the House of Commons and the pledge gives priority to key recommendations in the Youth Select Committee’s 2015 report. The issue of mental health was a top issue in the Make Your Mark youth ballot of 2015; the biggest youth consultation in the country, which saw more than 108 000 young people aged 11-18 vote for it as a top issue of concern.
This issue is also one close to my heart too, I have campaigned locally and been a part of the mental health debate from the age of 14. Starting in my county of Shropshire I took part in council initiatives, NHS research and support projects; listened to young people engaged with CAMHS and school mental health services and campaigned for improvement as a Member of UK Youth Parliament. Knowing family members, friends and many in my community struggle deeply with mental health, it was this injustice which motivated me to want to be a part of the Youth Select Committee. It makes me proud that such a common injustice is now being giving the attention it is long overdue.
The Youth Select Committee found a large range of issues facing young people’s mental health. Such issues include an absence of support and signposting in schools, bullying online, stigma around the discussion of mental health and the growing pressures and decreasing funding, as causes of a youth mental health crises. In response the committee made a few but vital recommendations, based on awareness, education and services. These include but are not limited to: commissioners appointed to local areas, the design of a trusted mental health app, mental health first aid training and an extremely important proportionate increase and ring-fencing of young people’s mental health services budget. The recent response to the committee’s recommendation of the focus on teacher training and mental health first aid in schools is particularly welcome, as in our research we found it common for education to be the cause or trigger of mental health issues such as anxiety. It is an alarming fact that 340 000 5-10 year olds suffer from a mental disorder and this figure increases with teenagers – affecting both their social life and their education. The Committee recommends that teacher training be specific and mandatory and that it focuses on how to respond, how to spot problems and where to refer.
A young person with mental health issues cannot succeed to their full potential in the current learning environment and a holistic, whole school approach with training for all is a key step forward in improving students’ academic abilities and mental wellbeing.
However, there is still work do be done, I am keen to hear if the government will also accept and instil the committee’s recommendation to have a mental health nurse or councillor who is fully trained in schools. The achievement of parity of esteem between one’s physical health and ones mental health is of grave concern, and although teacher training in mental health and signposting is very important, a fully qualified mental health nurse/councillor is necessary to provide a wider service to meet the need. Though this is only a cog in the work, to truly deal with the growing mental health crises, the government must consider an increase and ring fence of key services budgets for mental health. The case for need is there. Additionally, the economic case provides only further evidence we are creating a backlog of individuals with mental health issues which will be harder and more expensive to deal in adulthood, yet the majority of mental health funding is in adult hood. Prevention is better than cure. But nevertheless, this is a great and brilliant pledge by Theresa May. The Government has taken a welcomed step forward for young people and mental heath and I hope there are many more steps to come down this long road.
The British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee will launch its report on ‘racism and religious discrimination’ on Wednesday 16th November 2016. The report, launched as part of UK Parliament Week, concludes that people’s attitudes towards racism and religious discrimination have become normalised and there is ambiguity surrounding what constitutes such behaviour. It stresses that the Government needs to do more to define racism and religious discrimination as well as to raise awareness of what these definitions actually mean in practice. The committee also recommends making PSHE a compulsory subject in schools, with teachers receiving better training on tackling racism and religious discrimination; a recommendation the Government has not ruled out.
Bronagh Hughes, 18, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said: “Throughout our extensive inquiry into racism and religious discrimination, it became apparent to the Committee that racism and religious discrimination remains prevalent in the lives of many young people living in the UK. The UK’s decision to leave the EU brought this issue to the forefront of political discussion following the post-Brexit surge in hate crime that surfaced. Moving forward, we must ensure that this is high on the agenda for decision makers so that we can make positive steps to combat both racism and religious discrimination. The Committee is really keen to hear the Government’s response to our recommendations.”
Now in its fifth year, the Youth Select Committee, supported by the House of Commons, takes evidence in public and has its proceedings streamed online and recorded in Hansard. The eleven committee members are aged 15-19 and include Members of UK Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors, a Young Mayor, reserved seats and representatives from each of the devolved nations. Previous inquiries have reported on transport, education, votes at 16, and mental health.
This year’s inquiry considered:
- the level and quality of awareness and education in schools
- the prevalence of racism and religious discrimination and how organisations and young people are attempting to tackle it
- how the issues can be tackled at a local level by communities;
- how tackling racism and religious discrimination should be approached at a national level by the Government.
Evidence was gathered from a range of witnesses, including charities, young people, academics, and professionals.
‘Tackling racism and religious discrimination’ was chosen as one of the top priorities in a ballot of 969,992 young people conducted in 2015, and subsequently became the topic of focus for this year’s Youth Select Committee. The issue was highlighted as a priority once again in a 2016 poll of 978,216 young people, making it clear that the issue is of growing importance to young people living in the UK. The committee realises that despite the UK having strong equal rights laws and a Government Equalities Office responsible for taking action to remove barriers to equality and help build a fairer society, racism and religious discrimination continue to remain prevalent in everyday life for many people living in the UK. The UK’s decision to leave the European Union, and the repercussions of that vote in subsequent weeks brought this issue to the forefront of public attention.
Find out more about the Youth Select Committee
Meet the Youth Select Committee
Download the Youth Select Committee
Following its call for written evidence in May, the Youth Select Committee is holding oral evidence sessions with a range of witnesses as part of its inquiry into racism and religious discrimination. The first oral evidence session will take place in the Grimond Room at Portcullis House on Friday 8th July 2016. The inquiry comes at a time when reports have been suggesting a sharp increase in racist incidents since the EU Referendum.
The British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee, now in its fifth year, is exploring how to tackle racism and religious discrimination, particularly focussing on awareness and education; services; and prevention. The Committee’s particular areas of interest are available in its terms of reference, which are available online. The Committee’s eleven members are aged 13-18 and include two Members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYPs), two youth councillors, a Young Mayor, one elected representative from each of the devolved nations and three reserved seats. Previous inquiries have reported on Transport, Education, Votes at 16, and Mental Health.
Bronagh Hughes, 17, Chair of the Youth Select Committee from Northern Ireland said: “In the UK today, racism and religious discrimination are ever more prevalent and divisive issues in society that need to be addressed. The fact that this topic was chosen by the UK Youth Parliament in their debate last November, highlights that young people today feel that more must be done to tackle it. It’s important that young people engage in politics and as a Committee we looking forward to hearing from a range of individuals and organisations on the work that they do to help tackle these issues.”
Racism and religious discrimination was voted as the priority campaign of the UK Youth Parliament, following their Make Your Mark ballot and their annual House of Commons debate in November 2015.
During the Youth Select Committee’s oral evidence session they will hear from interested parties who submitted evidence including bodies like the National Black Police Associate and National Police Chiefs’ Council, charities like Kick It Out and young people from various parts of the country. The Youth Select Committee mirrors the UK Parliament Select Committee structure and gives young people the opportunity to scrutinise and hold enquiries into topics of importance to them. The Youth Select Committee has received induction training and mentoring from Parliamentary Clerks and British Youth Council staff.
Schedule:
Friday 8 July – Grimond Room, Portcullis House
10.30am
Panel 1 – Education: organisations
- Troy Townsend, Education and Development Manager, Kick It Out
- Kim Johnson, President, National Association of Head Teachers
- Jenny Barksfield, Deputy Chief Executive,PSHE Association
11.30am
Panel 2 – Young People’s Panel
- Hania Sulaiman, member of youth cabinet, Trafford Youth Cabinet, andMark Bailey, Advocacy and Engagement Manager, Children’s Rights Services,Trafford Council
- Zena Al-Sadoun, Member of Youth Parliament for Plymouth, and Jenny Way, youth worker,Plymouth City Council
- Iqra Al-Sadoun, Campaign representative for Youthforia, and Elizabeth Harding, Chief Executive, Youth Focus North West
1.30pm
Panel 3 – Education: projects
- Alex Raikes, Director, Stand Against Racism and Inequality
- Marvin Rees,Mayor of Bristol
- Irene Hewitt, Secretary, Derry office, Ulster Project
- Amanda Naylor, Senior Manager of the Children and Young People’s Programme,You & Co
2.30pm
Panel 4 – Community: projects
- Jas Hothi, Sports Development Officer, London Youth
- James Kingett, Campaign Worker, Show Racism the Red Card
- Jill Wilson, Communities Together, and Director ofThe Equality Practice Ltd
- Piotr Teodorowski, Ethnic Minorities Health Link Worker, Grampian Regional Equality Council
The sessions will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis. For meetings in Portcullis House, the entrance is located on Victoria Embankment. There is no system for the prior reservation of seats in Committee Rooms. It is advisable to allow 30 minutes to pass through security checks. Committee rooms and the timing of meetings are subject to change.
Find out more about the Youth Select Committee
The British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee today announces a call for evidence on racism and religious discrimination. The Committee will explore issues around awareness, prevention, education and services for young people (under 25) and is calling for evidence from a wide range of witnesses including individuals and organisations, service providers, researchers and campaigners. Evidence from young people is particularly welcome.
Now in its fifth year, the Youth Select Committee is a British Youth Council initiative, supported by the House of Commons, which takes evidence in public and has its proceedings televised and recorded in Hansard. The eleven committee members are aged 13-18 and include Members of UK Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors, a Young Mayor, reserved seats and representatives from each of the devolved nations. Previous inquiries have reported on Transport, Education, Votes at 16, and Mental Health.
Find out how to submit and download the full terms of reference.
Bronagh Hughes, 17, Chair of the Youth Select Committee said: “Racism and religious discrimination is an extremely important issue. Last year’s passionate UK Youth Parliament debate highlights that young people feel more must be done to tackle it. It’s important that young people engage with politics and as a Committee we are keen to hear what people have to say about this issue”.
The Committee’s call for written evidence closes at 12 noon on 7th June 2015 and the Youth Select Committee will hold oral evidence sessions in the House of Commons in June and July 2015. Written evidence should be submitted via email tobycyouthselect@parliament.uk or via post to the Clerk of the Youth Select Committee, c/o The Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster Programme, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
Inquiry-related questions:
Please contact the inquiry team on bycyouthselect@parliament.uk
Media enquiries:
Members of the press with enquiries should Rhammel Afflick, Communications & Media Officer, British Youth Council, on 020 7250 8376 or Rhammel.Afflick@byc.org.uk
Meet Committee Members
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