Can a malocclusion cause bullying?
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