Face Equality 2018

Our vision Changing Faces wants a world where everyone with a visible difference on their face or body has the confidence, support and opportunity to lead the lives they want.

Some of the main causes of visible difference Skin conditions like eczema or acne Head & neck or eye cancer Burns Craniofacial conditions Cleft lip/palate Birthmarks

How does it feel to live with a disfigurement?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ cbbc/watch/my-life- shorts-the-burns-club

Class discussion: What did you learn about Holly & Stephanie’s lives? What do they have in common with the girls?

Four-fifths of people with a visible difference experienced comments or unpleasant remarks Disfigurement in the UK 2017

96% have seen a photo or comment on social media that mocked someone's appearance. Disfigurement in the UK 2017

Over half of all school children who have a visible difference experience bullying because of it. Disfigurement in the UK 2017

Bullying behaviour In small teams (3-4) review the following case studies and think about some of the bullying behaviour taking place.

Claire is 13 and is part of a dance group with ten people from her local school. Claire was in a house fire as a child and has burn scars on her face and body as a result. Members of the group are all members of a WhatsApp group. Claire considers everyone in the dance group to be her friend. When looking at WhatsApp Claire noticed a picture which she was tagged in. The post was from a friend and had a character from a scary movie with the text ‘Claire it’s your twin’. Claire commented that it wasn’t funny. Three people replied to say that Claire should learn to take a joke and that she shouldn’t be so sensitive. Questions: What is the bullying behaviour? What could friends in the group do (helpful or not)?

Amina is 16 and wants to be a hairdresser Amina is 16 and wants to be a hairdresser. She has started posting video tutorials for different hairstyles on YouTube (she has a cleft lip and palate). She was pleased to see lots of positive comments about her hairstyling skills, but suddenly, she started to receive large numbers of negative comments about her appearance. One of these comments said that Amina “shouldn’t be allowed to show her face in public as it will give people nightmares.” Amina was really upset by these comments and told one of her friends how she was feeling. Questions: What is the bullying behaviour? What could friends in the group do (helpful or not)?

Peter is 12 and has a large birthmark on his face Peter is 12 and has a large birthmark on his face. Peter sometimes feels self-conscious about his appearance. Peter walks to and from his youth club with two of his friends every day and notices that some people stare at him as he walks past. One day, Peter and his friends walked past a group of older young people from his school who were standing outside a shop. One of the group stepped in front of Peter and asked him, “what’s wrong with your face?” Peter tried to walk past, but the older pupils surrounded him to stop him from leaving. Peter’s two friends shouted at the older young people to leave Peter alone, but they were pushed to the ground and told to “shut up”. Questions: What is the bullying behaviour? What could friends in the group do (helpful or not)?

Meeting someone with a facial disfigurement Tips for how to behave with respect

Don’t know what to do or say? Smile! Nod your head to show you have seen them Say “hi” – sometimes it’s as simple as that! Talk about everyday things: music, scouts, what you are doing at the weekend.

Don’t know where to look? Look them in the eye. If this is hard at first, look at the bridge of their nose - it has the same effect.

Think you might be staring? It’s okay to be interested in someone’s face but imagine what it feels like to be stared at every day. Just be sure not to be too interested!

What not to do… “So what happened to you then?” should not be the first thing you say. Wait until you know the person better or until they tell you themselves. If you’re still curious, say something like, “Do you mind if I ask what happened?” – but be prepared that they may choose not to reply.

Representation in the media Can you think of 3 characters from a book, TV or film who have a visible difference?

Positive?

Negative?

Representation in the media What can we do to change the negative representation of those with a visible difference in books, TV and films?

Post using #Proudtobeme & #FaceEquality Creative time. Using the butterfly template and all the knowledge you have gained today. Write a sentence about what #FaceEquality means to you. Post using #Proudtobeme & #FaceEquality

Post using #Proudtobeme & #FaceEquality What makes you, you? With a balloon and craft material create yourself with words that sum up who they are. Post using #Proudtobeme & #FaceEquality

Thank you for taking part Visit our website changingfaces.org.uk Connect on social media Twitter @faceequality Instagram @changingfacesuk Instagram /changingfacesuk