How far out does our children’s negative experience take them and how much we should do to set things right? There is no clear-cut answer and it’s actually up to any one of us, but some go and push the limits… or are just bolder than the average person about it. Now what about a bit of rhinoplasty as a measure against bullying? It’s already being done in New York.
ABC’s Nightline presented the other day the story of Nicolette Taylor, a 13-year-old from Long Island, whose self-esteem was getting shot full of holes by constant teasing. Nicolette started out as a lively and sociable girl who took things in her stride, she even did a bit of modeling, but all that changed when she broke her nose. And then broke it again.
That unfortunate event left her with a bumpy nose that provided her schoolmates with a reason to start teasing her. Besides, her photos on social sites began to attract detrimental comments.
Postings like “hey big nose” appeared on Nicolette’s Facebook page, the girl’s mother, Maria Taylor, shared with Nightlife correspondent JuJu Chang. And when it happened for the fifth or sixth time in a week, Ms Taylor’s patience wore thin. “I came in when she was on the phone with the boy, and I took the phone from her, and I said, ‘Listen, you need to take them off Facebook.’”
Meaning to put a stop to it once and for all, she then went to consult a local plastic surgeon who told her that a number of surgeries have been brought about by teasing and taunting, and that decided the caring woman. She signed her daughter for a nose job.
Psychology warns against making rash decisions like that, stating that a child ought to realize fully the probable impact of the procedure on his or her physique and self-image, but Nicolette turned out to be a lucky one: her elective surgery wiped off the problem at once.
After the correction, Nicolette is attending school and has become a cheerleader. According to her, she is now so sure about her appearance that even if she got bullied again she would not bat an eyelid.
Source of the image: Theasianparent.
