Recent studies have shown that just being overweight can increase chances of children being bullied by 63 percent. Bullying can cause children emotional pain, some so great that it even leads to suicide. The case of a young girl named Phoebe, who had committed suicide has even made it into the courts. Bullying has been around for a long time, as has obesity. So what I find odd is that this study has just recently been discovered. Bullying is a problem that's been around for ages, it's not something new. Children bully other children based upon clear differences. Race and ethnic backgrounds being one of the largest factors. So why hasn't this "discovery" been made before?
A child's weight is going to be the first thing that another child notices. Children compare themselves to what they see. And for the amount of children that are overweight, there's a lot that aren't depending on the location of where you live. In an area where were growing up, the kids are thin. There really isn't an abundance of larger children, therefore making them stick out more then usual. It's in areas like this where the situation becomes worse, when they"re the only ones.
So parents should be aware of this, if your child is overweight, don't be afraid to check up on them. That goes for all parents, even the skinny kids get bullied. Bullying is a serious issue and it can be prevented if parents step in and keep an eye on their children.
http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/bulliestargetobesekids.html
Grace - you mentioned the 65% statistic. Where did you get this information? What specific source did you read for this blog post?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I like the qualifier you included in the last paragraph about kids of all shapes and sizes being bullied and how important it is for parents to be observant.
I agree with Grace. I think it is astonishing that researchers have not made the connection that obese kids are usually bullied more. I also think it is true that since there aren't a large amount of very overweight children, the ones that are overweight stick out a lot. I think it is important to keep in mind when you see an overweight person even if they are not a child, just remember that they have probably been bullied for it and be sensitive to their situation.
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