Obesity and bullying: different effects for boys and girls

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 91; no. 2; pp. 121 - 125
• Main Authors: Griffiths, L J, Wolke, D, Page, A S, Horwood, J P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01-02-2006; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Adolescents; Behavior; Body Weight; Bullying; Child; Childhood obesity; Children; Crime Victims - psychology; Demographic aspects; England - epidemiology; Female; Gender differences; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - psychology; Obesity in children; Original; Overweight; Overweight persons; Peer Group; Physiological aspects; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Social aspects; Social Behavior; Social Class; Studies; Teenagers; victimisation; England; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2005.072314

Aims: To investigate whether weight category (underweight, average weight, overweight, and obese) at age 7.5 predicts bullying involvement at 8.5 years. Models were tested separately for boys and girls to investigate gender differences in association patterns. Methods: Prospective cohort study in southwest England. Height and weight were measured in children at age 7.5 (n = 8210). BMI (kg/m2) was used to define underweight, average weight, overweight, and obese children, according to British age and gender specific growth reference data. Overt (n = 7083) and relational (n = 6932) bullying behaviour was assessed in children at age 8.5. Results: After adjustment for parental social class, compared to average weight boys, obese boys were 1.66 (95% CI 1.04 to 2.66) times more likely to be overt bullies and 1.54 (1.12 to 2.13) times more likely to be overt victims. Obese girls were 1.53 (1.09 to 2.15) times more likely to be overt victims compared to average weight girls. Conclusions: Obesity is predictive of bullying involvement for both boys and girls. Preadolescent obese boys and girls are more likely to be victims of bullying because they deviate from appearance ideals. Other obese boys are likely to be bullies, presumably because of their physical dominance in the peer group.