When Being Different Attracts Not-So-Special Attention

Good Morning America recently featured the rising number of teenagers seeking cosmetic surgery as a means to avoid bullying. Take the case of Samantha Shaw, a seven-year-old who had undergone otoplasty, an ear augmentation procedure that brings one’s ears closer to the head. Before her corrective surgery, Samantha’s ears slightly protrude from the sides of her head. Samantha’s mom resorted to cosmetic surgery to help her daughter deal with bullies.

You will be surprised to know that Samantha’s otoplasty is not uncommon at all. Frustrated and tired of being the target of bullies, high school student Erica Morgo broke her nose on purpose just so her parents would allow her to have rhinoplasty. In Scotland, parents of nine-year-old Jay Paine, had to give in to their son’s request to have a mole removed from his face. Said mole induced intense bullying from their son’s peers. Welcome to Nip-tuck 2.0.

Samantha, Erica and Jay are representatives of a growing market minority in the industry of cosmetic surgery. These kids and their parents believe that cosmetic surgery would provide the much sought after solution to their bullying problems. American Society of Plastic Surgery reported that in 2010, just over 218,000 teenagers had cosmetic surgery. Additionally, the group also noted an alarming 30% increase of procedures solely done to teenagers over the past 10 years.

Bullying is a societal dilemma that most communities experience.Although acts occur between adults, bullying is more prevalent between children and teens. Individuals who experienced incessant bullying are said to develop mental and emotional distress like depression and low self-esteem, according to numerous studies.

It is natural for parents to want to protect their children from the effects of bullying even if it means getting them cosmetic surgery. It is expected to hear opposing opinions towards this issue. Some feel that regardless of the intention, parents of these kids become victims of bullying by resorting to cosmetic surgery. Child psychologists say that resorting to cosmetic surgery is not only useless, it also does not resolve the issue of bullying at all. On the other side of the coin, others point out that there is no denying that the immediate result of cosmetic surgery could save a child from suffering emotional and mental pain caused by bullying. Whether people admit it or not, aesthetics is important to have meaningful social interactions. Hence the question, can cosmetic surgery be the remedy to dysfunctional relationships?

Everyone longs to feel a sense of belonging. This need to be accepted and included in a group causes people to act in a certain way, look a certain way, like certain things, and have certain things, in order to be liked by everyone in a group. Social exclusion and rejection happen when a person looks, acts and thinks differently from the rest of the group. This group dynamics will determine its social classification, e.g. geeks, jocks, cheerleaders, etc. That’s why it’s been said that birds of the same feather flock together.

Several parents expressed concerns on the use of cosmetic surgery to help kids deal with bullies. Consenting to surgery only encourages wrong behaviors to develop. Instead, focus should be given to solving a bigger issue of bullying that mainly stems from low self-esteem observed in most children seeking surgery.

Arguably, cosmetic surgery does provide much needed solutions to children and teenagers with physical deformities who are especially vulnerable to name calling, public mocking and discrimination. Cosmetic surgery not only averted bullying but also provided opportunities that are not likely to be available to kids with physical defects.

Studies indicate that acceptance builds self-esteem, and a healthy self-image contributes to one’s quality of life. Do all of these justify the need for cosmetic surgery to keep from getting bullied?

The decision to undergo elective cosmetic surgery will always be ones legal prerogative. Expecting cosmetic surgery to provide less troublesome relationships is delusional. Seeking cosmetic surgery as a solution is proof that society recognizes the destructive effects of bullying.