Bullying experiences, body esteem, body dissatisfaction, and the moderating role of weight status among adolescents

The present study examined the relationships between bullying victimization experiences, body esteem (BE), and body dissatisfaction (BD) by obesity status. Using a cross-sectional design, adolescents (10-16y) from the U.S. completed surveys. Weight and height were objectively assessed. Bullying was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescence (London, England.) England.), 2021-08, Vol.91 (1), p.59-70
Main Authors: Fowler, Lauren A., Kracht, Chelsea L., Denstel, Kara D., Stewart, Tiffany M., Staiano, Amanda E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent girls
Adolescents
Black white relations
Body height
Body image
Body weight
Bullying
Children
Discontent
Human body
Mental health
Obesity
Personal experiences
Teenagers
Victimization
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Summary:The present study examined the relationships between bullying victimization experiences, body esteem (BE), and body dissatisfaction (BD) by obesity status. Using a cross-sectional design, adolescents (10-16y) from the U.S. completed surveys. Weight and height were objectively assessed. Bullying was assessed using the Personal Experiences Checklist, with a total score that included three subscales (cyber, verbal-relational, and physical). BE was assessed using total score on the BE Scale, and BD was assessed using the Body Image Assessment for Pre-Adolescents, operationalized as the discrepancy between current and ideal body figure. Linear regression models, controlling for sociodemographics, were used to examine obesity status (with vs. without obesity) and sex as moderators of the relationships between bullying, BE, and BD. On average, adolescents (n = 328) were 12.6 ± 1.9 y, 45.4% male, 58.2% White, 35.7% Black, and 36.0% had obesity. Obesity status moderated the relationship between bullying experiences and BE, such that these relationships were only significant (B = −0.38, p
ISSN:0140-1971
1095-9254
DOI:10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.07.006