Effect of Malocclusion on Bully Victim School Students

Abstract

Background: Bullying or peer victimization in schools is a specific sort of aggressive behavior and can be described as a circumstance in which a student is subjected, frequently and over time, to unpleasant acts on the part of one or more classmates. The study’s objective was to evaluate Malocclusion’s effect on bully-victim school students, specifically self-esteem and oral health-related quality of life. Material & Methods: This study was a prospective cross-sectional investigation carried out at the Baridhara Scholar’s International School & College. The study was carried out between October 2021 and October 2022 which included 310 students between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Results: Most of the students, 91(29.4%), were aged 13 years. whereas 143(46.1%) were boys and 167(53.9%) were girls. The majority of the participants, 177(57.1%), were bullied, and 133(42.9%) were not bullied. Those who had experienced bullying were significantly more likely to have a Class II Division 1 incisor relationship (P value, 0.034), an increased overjet >4 mm (P value, 0.002), and an increased overbite (P value, 0.041). A negative impact on total Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) (P value, 0.001) is caused by bullied participants reporting higher degrees of oral symptoms (P value, 0.042), functional limits (P value, 0.001), emotional impact (P value, 0.001), and social impact (P value, 0.001) from their oral condition. In comparison to non-bullied participants, those who had experienced bullying reported lower levels of social competence (P-value, 0.001), athletic competence (P-value, 0.001), physical appearance-related self-esteem (P-value, 0.001), and general self-esteem (P-value, 0.001). Conclusion: According to this study, bullying in schools is the most prevalent offense children commit. Significant associations exist between the self-esteem of bullying victims, the existence of malocclusion, and their OHRQoL. Orthodontic characteristics such as a Class II Div1, Div2, class III incisor relationship, enhanced overjet, and overbite are linked to bullying.