Join me for a summary exploring bullying and its
relationship with malocclusion, with a contemporary review of evidence showing
the psychological effects various malocclusions can cause young people. This
podcast is a summary of Andrew DiBiase’s lecture last year at the British
Orthodontic Conference. Andrew’s research explores what factors moderate
bullying, and what factors can be protective against bullying.
Introduction
·
Nearly 1 in 3 patients report teasing or fear of
teasing as a motivating factor for orthodontic treatment Bauss 2023 AJODO
·
1 in 7 patients attending our clinics are
bullied Seehra et al., 2011
·
Most upsetting feature of bullying teeth 60.7%
Shaw
·
13, 387 teenagers 25% report bullying
o
Around 7% related to teeth
Definition of bullying: Olweus 1984
·
Unprovoked and sustained campaign of aggression,
towards someone in order to hurt them
·
Student exposed repeatedly to negative action on
the part of one or more students
o
Harm, imbalance of power, organised, repetitive,
harm experienced
Who gets bullied and how?
·
Younger more – 10 year olds 22%, 15 year olds 7%
·
Girls are greater than boys by 5%
·
Boys low athletic competence
o
Judged on homour as well Langlois 2000
·
Girls appearance
o
We do judge girls on physical appearance Langlois
2000
o
80% verbal - Cyber bullying – doest stop at the
school gate
Consequences of bullying
·
Short term and long term effects
o
Poorer academic performance
o
Crime
o
Self harm
§
26% within young population and teeth occupying
the reason in 1 in 5 young people Bitor 2022 AJODO
o
Low self esteem
o
Structural changes, medulla – related to fear
(peer victimisation and its impact on adolescent brain)
What features are more likely to result in bullying
Dibiase, Jad Seehra 2014
·
Greater rate of bullying
·
2 div 1: 18%
·
Increased overjet 16% Tristão SR 2020
·
Deep overbite
·
Missing teeth, anterior spacing
·
IOTN AC 9 and 10
·
Regression – younger worse
·
Low athletic competence p 0.019
Conclusions
·
Relationship between bullying and severe
malocclusion
·
Schoolchildren who report being bothered by
their teeth report being lonelier at school and lower self-esteem
·
Malocclusion has a greater impact on females
than males
·
Malocclusion and peer relations is moderated by
self-esteem in girls, but not boys
·
Good peer relations protect against the negative
impact of malocclusion in girls with low or average self-esteem
