Back in 1998, there was much talk about whether or not the Spice Girls were good role models. The ministers for women at the time, Baroness Jay and Tessa Jowell, said pop stars could inspire girls and young women to achieve more. But two of the Spice Girls were pregnant then, and a teachers' union argued that this would encourage teenage girls to do the same.
These mixed messages show how complex the issue of role models can be.
A role model can inspire young people, but that inspiration may not always be a good thing. Amira Asantewa, operational manager at Youth at Risk, a charity that supports disengaged young people, says: "Some young people are surrounded by positive role models and others are surrounded by not so positive ones. Some young people live in areas where drug dealing is considered a career move."
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