The Child's image of a young smoker

Abstract

THE SELF-IMAGES of 361 boys and 128 girls, aged from ten to 12 years, were measured using a 12-item list and compared with their image of a young person who smokes. The self-images of boys and girls differed on some items, more boys seeing themselves as 'clever', 'good looking', 'good at sport' and 'tough'. The image of a smoker also differed on some items, more boys seeing the smoker as a 'troublemaker' and 'liking to do forbidden things', and more girls seeing the smoker as 'grown up'. The images of the self and of the young smoker differed, irrespective of the child's own smoking habits, al though this difference was less for smokers than non- smokers. This suggests that children who smoke do not see themselves as smokers, and do not relate health ed ucation on smoking to their own practice.