The Effect of Departure from the Normal Weight - Research Paper Example

Obesity and Bullying: Different Effects for Boys and Girls The of the Obesity and Bullying: Different Effects for Boys and Girls It is not surprising that in the modern world of striving for ideal body proportions people who do not meet the norm can be prejudiced in some way, or even suffer from humiliation. Unfortunately, such a behavioral model of adults may be adopted by children with its further extension on their relationship with peers. The Problem of the Study As a matter of fact, the key problem of the study is an effect of departure from the normal weight (obesity) on the perception of the children with such a problem, and its probable realization in bullying. The burning character of the problem is accounted for the doubled figures of obesity among kids during the last two decades, and assisting the issue psychological and social aftereffects, namely: problems with the health due to the level of obesity, emotional incongruities (disturbance, depression, and low self-concept), problem conduct, and so forth. Victimization at all levels is another aspect of the problem. Impuberal overweight people face numerous wipes and indignity, including calling names, beating, and expulsion from affinity groups. This is the reality of overweigh children in primary and secondary school, with a particular difference of participation by boys and girls. The goal of the research is to consider whether there is a consequence between weight category at age of 7.5 and bullying implication in 8.5, in order to clear the situation with such a phenomenon as perpetration of obese children of both sexes. The Hypothesis of the Study Speaking in generality, the main hypothesis of the study is obesity’s impact, or rather direct correlation with the children’s perception by their standard weight peers. In particular, the main idea seeking for its confirmation or refutation is obesity’s results in victim status of obese kids. “…however, no priori assumptions were made on how weight category would affect bully perpetrator status” (Griffiths, Wolke, Page & Horwood, 2006). There is also another hypothesis, which is equally important for the realization of all aspects of obesity-bullying problem. It refers to the different level of involvement, as well as particular part or role in the process of treatment of obese children both by girls and boys from surroundings. Notably, there is a specific dependence of the way of perception of obese children on the sex of their peers, with consideration of a particular role of parental social status in common course of the problem. The Results of the Study The results show that there is an evident prediction of obesity to become the reason of bullying of two types, that is, overt bullying and relational one. Boys are more likely to become involved in both types of bullying. In fact, it is specific feature of boyish relationship nature, that they may appear to be not only victims of bullying due to their obesity, but also can play a role of bully perpetrators. And the result of the study has proven the predominance of oppressor’s role over the one of the victim among obese boys. Moreover, obese males of analyzed age more prone to mockery of their herd mates, than the boys of average weight. As for the involvement of girls in the problem of obesity and its effects on bullying, they mostly take the place of victims, for the overweight interferes into their relations with female friends of average or underweight to the extent that obese girls are started to be ignored or humiliated by slim ones. The study has also depicted the frequent case of underweight girls to become the perpetrators of obese, overweight, and even average weight peers. So we can see that the roots of the same problem of secondary schoolchildren relations are found in the primary schoolchildren attitude to the problem of obesity. Turning to the peculiarities of the whole picture of obesity-bullying phenomenon, the results of the study show a level of engagement of boys and girls into overt and relational bullying. In point of statistical facts of two researching interviews, there are three groups of participants of overt bullying, as well as relational one, namely: bullies, victims, and neutrals. There is a significant speaking difference between two cases. Overt bullying interview results display obese boys’ practice of becoming victims, as well as bullies, and less neutral position towards obesity, in comparison with girls. Relational bullying interview in its turn manifests that boys are involved in bullying as victims more often, than appear as oppressors, while girls can be not as neutral as boys in some cases of relational bullying. At any rate, results of both researches give the evidence of prevalence of victim status among overweight children, not bully perpetrator one. The figures of children’s neutrality cannot but prove not global scales of the problem, but the problem itself with its increasing status must make people to think thoroughly over its solution. Still, it is natural that there can be some margins of error in the study results, for the probable misunderstanding of some notions or concepts of interview by the children of 7.5 and 8.5 years old. In this respect, a kind of mixed-up comprehension by children of their position within childhood society (for example, “pure” bullies, or bully/ victims) may serve for a doubt in accuracy of the study. The Implications of the Study The study confirms the direct connection between level of adiposity and bullying among children of 7.5 and 8.5 age category. According to the sex division, obese boys are tend to be victims, as well as girls, and also are opened for the role of overt bullies, in the case of their physical strength domination over others. In the case of relational bully boys and girls are equal in their involvement into the problem of obesity, and mostly turn to be victims. Moreover, constant studies show that bullying is wide-spread in the primary schoolchildren relations, and then finds its realization in the secondary school level. The Caveats of the Study The statistical data and results of the study have shown the whole seriousness of the state of obesity-bullying problem, and its impact on children’s socio-psychological health in the regard of the humiliation of overweight kids by their peers. There is a major risk of continuation and even worsening of the phenomenon in the future adolescence for the children suffering from fattiness today. It refers to both sexes, while it can touch girls in more intense way due to the deviance of obese females from the slimness dictated by common views, and its result in constant mockery and abjection both from males and females. The Thoughts about the Study The whole study has proved once again that the problem of correlation between obesity and humiliation is being represented not only at all levels of our life, but also in all ages. The issue is really acute and needs it solution, as it fastens in its development and becomes a direct threat for sound relations of the smallest members of our society, influencing their world perception in a wrong way. So our strong belief is that the meaning of this research is of no doubt. Furthermore, the results of the study can be used for the effective improvement of the obesity-bullying problem. References Griffiths, L. J., Wolke, D., Page, A. S., & Horwood, J. P. (2006). Obesity and bullying: different effects for boys and girls. Arch Dis Child, 2006 (91), 121. Read More