Bullying and Plastic Surgery - Teens Pressured Into Going Under the Knife

Bullying is a major issue that schools and institutions find hard to solve. Kids who have fallen victims to bullies find ways to get away from the name-calling and plastic surgery is one of the options that most of them consider. This attracts teens as young as 13 to go under the knife to dodge the taunts in the school yard.

In the United States, statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicate that there are about 219 000 procedures performed on teens in 2010. The age group is between 13 to 19 and the reasons are usually for improving their appearance to escape the bullies that attack them in their schools. Peer pressure and the desire to fit in with everyone else seem to be the driving factors.

Little Baby Face Foundation is a non-profit organization which helps children with deformities and paralysis. They have a team of skilled doctors and plastic surgeons who devote their time and expertise to help these children with surgeries that could help with the appearance and function of the afflicted body parts.

14-year old Nadia Ilse is one of the beneficiaries of the foundation who underwent a 4-hour plastic surgery operation to correct her ears. Kids in school find an issue with her ears often calling her "Dumbo". To correct that, she was flown in to New York with her mother to undergo otoplasty. The Little Baby Face Foundation founder Thomas Romo III decided to give her a nose job too. Afterwards, Nadia was very happy with her new appearance.

13-year old Nicolette Taylor is also among the teens who got a nose job after cyber bullies began mocking her about her nose. Her father does not think this is such a big deal and compared it to getting braces and a new pair of shoes in preparation for a new school year.

However, doctors operate on how "emotionally mature" the patient is before proceeding with the surgery. That could be pretty subjective and parents play a major part on advising their kids with regards with these matters.

This is how some parents see the necessity for invasive surgery for their children in order to keep them away from bullies and name-calling. Surgery to prevent bullying could be helpful but shouldn't the children be given advice how to stand up for themselves and accept their features? The debate is still going on and everyone has something to say.