Cinematic depictions of the traditional school yard bully often follow the same rule in that characters are typically skinny, rather attractive, well dressed and, above all, popular. However, a team of researchers at Queen’s University beg to differ with this perspective. Their study has shown that obese female teens are three times more inclined to bully than their thinner contemporaries. The study is published in The European Journal of Obesity.
The height and weight of 1,738 students, in 16 schools, was recorded along with information on their experience with bullying and the results made for an interesting reframe of the bullying stereotype.
Girls who were obese were 1.32 times more inclined to be victimized physically than those who would be considered a normal weight. These obese girls were also 1.52 times more than likely to be the bully.
Obese boys however, were on the receiving end of bullying with 2.11 times likelihood of them experiencing bullying in the form of teasing, taunting and being ignored (relational bullying). Their weight did not make them more likely to get involved in such forms of bullying. These facts came as a surprise to the researchers who thought that a bigger physical size among men would indicate being stronger and more likely to be the bully or deter bulling attempts.
Obese girls were 1.76 times more likely than thinner girls to be on the receiving end of such forms of bullying as mentioned above but they were 3 times more likely to bully in this way.
The study really highlights how cyclical this sort of behaviour is. It shows how those who are bullied often retaliate in this way and project what is happening to them on the inside. These tactics certainly won’t improve the growing problem of obesity and young people. Rather than changing their diet and exercise habits, they are finding ways to remain comfortably the same.