LITTLE MISS MISERABLE; 47% of teenage girls are depressed.

Byline: STUART MACDONALD

TEENAGE girls in Scotland are the most likely to be bullied because of their appearance, according to a disturbing new survey.

And the poll also showed 47 per cent of Scottish girls regularly felt depressed.

Young girls feel huge pressure to look good like celebrity icons Beyonce Knowles, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

The survey found 74 per cent of Scottish girls said they had been bullied over their appearance, compared to 65 per cent UK-wide.

And 54 per cent were too scared to do anything about it.

The poll of 2000 14-year-old girls for Bliss magazine found a growing number of disturbed teenage girls who say they can't cope with the pressures of modern life.

Last night Lisa Smosarski, Bliss editor, said: "Bullying can make teenagers' lives hell. But many don't speak up because they feel that they won't be taken seriously and will then end up with even more problems."

The Teen Emotional Health Survey 2005 also showed 34 per cent of Scots 14-year-olds had been drunk and six per cent had had sex.

Eleven per cent claimed that they had tried some form of drugs.

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Child psychotherapist Tina Radziszewicz said: "We live in a society where adults are dealing with stress by misusing alcohol and drugs and jumping from one sexual partner to another.

"Sadly, young people are copying what they see around them."