Bishop of Gloucester brings young voices to Parliament

Bishop Rachel says, “Over the past seven years, I have been speaking publicly about body image anxiety in young people and launched a campaign – #liedentity – challenging negative body image. We know that, for these young people, having negative thoughts about how they look can impact their entire life, causing deep unhappiness and contributing to poor mental health.

“What can often be lost as we debate policy and legislation are the voices of those young people, so I have invited students from two Gloucestershire secondary schools who will share at the event their personal experiences. We know that young people are shaped by their online experiences and interactions, so we want to make these as safe as possible. Viewing harmful content can have a long-lasting, negative impact on how they view themselves, their sense of worth and their bodies.”

Also speaking at the event will be Phillippa Diedrichs, Professor of Psychology at the Centre for Appearance Research, who will talk about her research and work with the Dove self-esteem campaign. Bishop Rachel will also interview Dr Luke Evans MP about his Body Image campaign, and Baroness Kidron regarding her insights and work with the 5Rights Foundation.

This event will provide a space to share knowledge, experiences and resources that help young people discover their true self-worth and further insight into how this issue impacts young people and the role of the Online Safety Bill.