In a teenager she is physically going through some changes with her body and emotionally. Tween to Teenager is a rollercoaster of emotions. This is an age when social acceptance is important to her. Discuss with her about body change and the need for social acceptance from her peers. She should know that it is good for her to find what interests her hobbies, sports etc . In a child becoming a teen and possibly being bullied. The bully will target her for looks and body image. This is what is important in a teenager. So that is what the bully will look to attack. A sign at her age would also be depression poor self image and wanting to fit in to the right crowd or popular group without regard to whether their activities are safe for her. As a child gets older in adolescents they are looking at the opposite sex and what tools she needs to get accepted. Again body imagine. It is important in all stages of a childs development that the parent is there allowing the child to have an open communication with the parent on issues that are important to them. Try to stay away from steering your child to your topics and focus and what their needs are. I hope this was helpful and I know more discussions are needed to that the parents needs are met in this most difficult task of parenting

Thank you for this @safetyshield. You are so right about the rollercaoster of emotions and the importance of social acceptance in the young teenager.

I recently read an enlightening excerpt and critique from Lisa Damour's book "Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood" by the Globe and Mail http://bit.ly/1X65h5j
The article starts out with "A teenage girl is a force of nature, with emotions so powerful they shock even her. In this exclusive excerpt, psychotherapist Lisa Damour uses neuroscience to help parents – and anyone perplexed by teenage girls – understand what’s really going on in their heads" I plan to read the book.

It is a challenge to decipher what is normal body image perception in this age group and what is a signal that there's something wrong. Sure the extreme cases are easy to spot, but it's the middle ground that's an issue. I try to create a space where she feels safe to talk. Often it's when were driving or after school when I'm washing dishes and she's having her snack. Both activities we're together but not sitting face-to-face. That seems to be the ticket.