Frequency Of Teasing Research Articles

Parental Reports of Intervention Services and Prevalence of Teasing in a Multinational Craniofacial Microsomia Pediatric Study.

Children with craniofacial microsomia (CFM) are at increased risk for educational and social concerns. This study describes intervention services and frequency of teasing in a multinational population of children with CFM. Caregivers of children with CFM ages 3 to 18 years in the US and South America were administered a questionnaire. Additional information was gathered from medical charts and photographs. Participants (N = 169) had an average age of 10.1 ± 6.2 years, were primarily male (60%), and from the US (46%) or Colombia (32%). Most participants had microtia and mandibular hypoplasia (70%). They often had unilateral (71%) or bilateral (19%) hearing loss and 53% used a hearing aid. In the US, special education services were provided for 48% of participants enrolled in school; however, similar services were rare (4%) in South America and reflect differences in education systems. Access to any intervention service was higher in the US (80%) than in South America (48%). Caregivers reported children showed diagnosis awareness by an average age of 4.4 ± 1.9 years. Current or past teasing was reported in 41% of the children, starting at a mean age of 6.0 ± 2.4 years, and most often took place at school (86%). As half of the US participants received developmental and academic interventions, providers should screen for needs and facilitate access to services. Given diagnosis awareness at age 4 and teasing at age 6, providers are encouraged to assess for psychosocial concerns and link to resources early in treatment.

Weight-related teasing is associated with body concerns, disordered eating, and health diagnoses in racially and ethnically diverse young men

Research suggests that weight-related teasing is associated with body concerns and disordered eating in male and female adolescents and women. Yet, little is known about these associations for young men with diverse racial and ethnic identities. This study examined the association of weight-related teasing frequency and distress with body concerns, loss of control (LOC) eating, dietary restraint, and history of psychiatric and medical diagnoses in racially and ethnically diverse young men. Racial and ethnic identity was examined as a potential moderator. Participants (N = 1,069; 18–30 years; Mage = 24.1 ± 3.6 years) completed an online survey and reported on general demographics; weight-related teasing; body concerns; LOC eating frequency in the last 28 days; dietary restraint; and history of psychiatric and medical diagnoses. All models adjusted for BMI, income, education, and history of psychiatric diagnoses (when not the dependent variable). Both weight-related teasing frequency and distress were significantly and positively linked with all dependent variables, and these associations did not significantly vary by racial and ethnic identity. These findings suggest that, much like in prior research with adolescents and women, experiences with weight-related teasing are associated with body concerns, disordered eating, and poorer health in racially and ethnically diverse young men, regardless of body size.

Weight-Related Teasing of Adolescents Who Are Primarily Obese: Roles of Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance and Physical Activity Self-Efficacy.

Adolescents who are obese are at risk for being teased about their appearance with the concomitant negative psychological sequelae. Identifying modifiable variables associated with teasing could inform pediatric weight-management interventions. Characterizing society’s role in the victimization of these at-risk individuals could guide anti-bullying programs for schools and broader public health efforts. This study aims to examine novel societal and cognitive factors associated with weight-related teasing frequency. Participants were adolescents (N = 334) being evaluated for a hospital-affiliated weight-management program. The outcome was perceived weight-related teasing frequency. Predictors were sociocultural awareness and internalization of appearance-related attitudes, physical activity self-efficacy, and psychological functioning. Multivariate regressions controlled for demographics and body mass index (BMI) z-scores with separate regressions testing interactions of BMI z-scores with all predictors. In adjusted analyses, higher physical activity self-efficacy and fewer depressive symptoms related to lower teasing frequency. Interactions indicated that less awareness/internalization of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, more positive body image, and higher self-esteem related to lower teasing frequency regardless of BMI. Targeted interventions and public health campaigns should be developed and tested for adolescents that improve body image with promotion of diverse views about attractiveness, bolster confidence in overcoming physical activity barriers, and identify and treat mood symptoms.

The mediating role of appearance comparisons on the relationship between negative appearance commentary and binge eating symptoms

While the frequency of weight-based teasing during childhood/adolescence has been linked to eating disturbance, limited research has examined the impact of negative appearance commentary experienced in young adulthood. Appearance comparisons have been shown to mediate the relationship between weight-based teasing frequency in childhood/adolescence and eating disturbance; however, less is known about the impact of other forms of negative appearance commentary and binge eating symptoms. The current study examined appearance comparisons to others as a mediator of the relationship between the impact of negative appearance commentary from interpersonal sources and binge eating symptoms in college women. Three hundred and seventeen young adult women from universities in the southwest and midsouth U.S. completed measures of appearance-related commentary, physical appearance comparisons, and binge eating symptoms. Controlling for body mass index, the mediation effect of appearance comparisons was tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Appearance comparisons was a significant mediator of the relationship between the impact of negative appearance comments and binge eating symptoms, F(3,312)=40.256, p<0.001, R2=0.279. There was no direct effect of the impact of negative appearance comments on binge eating symptoms. Study findings indicate that appearance comparisons play a role in the extent to which the impact of negative appearance commentary influences binge eating symptoms. Results also suggest the need to address the impact of negative appearance commentary and appearance comparisons simultaneously in interventions for eating disorder psychopathology among college women.

Social Anxiety and the Accuracy of Memory for Childhood Teasing Frequency.

Adults' recollections of how often they were teased as children are positively associated with their social anxiety symptoms. It has therefore been suggested that childhood teasing may play a role in the development of social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, existing studies have not determined whether adults with SAD were actually teased more as children or whether their current symptoms have distorted their memories of childhood events. This study examined reports of childhood teasing in adults with SAD before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). If recollections of childhood teasing are colored by SAD symptoms, then reported frequency of teasing might be more likely to decrease as symptoms improve after CBT. However, if individuals' memories of teasing are unbiased, they should not substantially change with the reduction of symptoms after CBT. Ninety-one participants with SAD completed the Teasing Questionnaire-Revised (TQ-R) before and after 12 sessions of group CBT. CBT was effective in reducing SAD symptoms, whereas recollections of the frequency of childhood teasing did not change significantly after treatment. These results are consistent with the possibility that recollections of childhood teasing are not substantially biased by symptoms of SAD, and they lend support to previous studies which suggest that adults with SAD endured higher frequencies of teasing as children compared to controls.

Teasing in younger and older children with microtia before and after ear reconstruction

This study prospectively measured teasing and emotional adjustment before and after ear reconstruction in younger and older children with microtia. Participants with isolated microtia (n = 28) were divided into two groups by age at surgery, with a younger group aged 3–5 years (n = 13) with a mean age of 4.0 (0.71) years at the time of surgery and an older group aged 6–10 years old (n = 15) with a mean age of 7.87 (1.30) years. Children and their parents were interviewed preoperatively and a year after surgery about teasing and emotions about their ear(s). Teasing began between the ages of 2.4–4.8 years. A third of the younger group and all of the older group reported preoperative teasing. Before surgery, the older group reported higher rates of negative emotions about their ear(s) and teasing was correlated for all ages with feeling sad, worried, and mad about their ear(s). After surgery, teasing and negative emotions significantly decreased with increased happiness about their ear(s). Postoperative teasing was correlated with trying to hide their ear(s). There were significant interactions from before to after surgery based on surgery age for frequency of teasing, sadness, and feeling mad, with the older group showing relatively greater change postoperatively. Teasing and negative emotions about their ear(s) decreased for all ages after surgery, with a potential protective factor seen in younger surgery age.

Emotional Impact of Teasing Moderates the Association Between Teasing Frequency and Self-Worth in Youth

The purpose of the present study was to examine the moderating role of emotional impact on the relationship between teasing frequency and self-worth in a community sample of youth. Participants included a community sample of 405 youth (M age = 10.22) who completed self-report measures of the frequency and emotional impact of teasing and self-worth. Latent moderated structural equation modeling indicated that emotional impact moderated the association between teasing frequency and self-worth (β = −.15, p = .04). Probing of the interaction revealed that among youth who experienced frequent teasing, self-worth was lower when emotional impact was high (β = −.25, t = 2.34, p = .02). Findings demonstrate that emotional impact moderated the relationship between teasing frequency and self-worth. Intervention designed to reduce teasing and its associated negative outcomes may benefit from intervention components designed to address the emotional impact of teasing.

Coping With Sexual Stigma

Little is known about how youth with LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) parents experience various forms of sexual stigma (i.e., homophobia and heterosexism). Previous studies have focused primarily on frequency of teasing and harassment; therefore, much less is known about how indirect and institutional types of sexual stigma play out in the lives of these youth. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 emerging adults with lesbian parents to ascertain how they experienced and coped with sexual stigma during middle school and high school. Findings revealed that both enacted (direct and indirect) and structural sexual stigma were salient to participants during their adolescence. The reactions that participants had to sexual stigma varied and were categorized as: fearful, defiant, or detached. Coping strategies, as well as factors that influenced the impact of sexual stigma on participants, were identified. Findings have implications for family professionals, policymakers, and future research.

Validation francophone et québécoise de la sous-échelle Weight-Related Teasing du Perception of Teasing Scale chez les enfants

Resume Les moqueries que subissent les enfants au sujet de leur poids ont souvent des consequences deleteres. Sur le plan clinique, leur detection precoce est donc essentielle. Cependant, il n’existe pas de questionnaire valide en francais pour mesurer ces moqueries. Developpe pour les adultes le Perception of Teasing Scale (POTS) inclut une mesure des moqueries liees au poids (WT). Le but de l’etude est de traduire, d’adapter et de valider la sous-echelle WT du POTS pour les enfants francophones de six a neuf ans. Les participants sont 430 enfants (240 filles et 188 garcons, âge moyen = 7,51) du primaire. Ils completent deux fois a un intervalle de deux semaines trois instruments : la version en francais du POTS-WT, un questionnaire mesurant les troubles des conduites alimentaires (TCA) et un autre mesurant le sentiment d’efficacite personnelle specifique a l’alimentation (SEPA). L’indice de masse corporelle (IMC) est aussi calcule. La presente version du POTS-WT montre une bonne coherence interne, mais un indice test-retest plus faible. La frequence des moqueries correle positivement avec les TCA et negativement avec le SEPA. Aucune correlation n’est obtenue avec l’IMC. Les resultats appuient l’utilisation du POTS-WT en francais pour la recherche clinique et pour le depistage precoce.

Teasing, depression and unhealthy weight control behaviour in obese children

Data were taken from 80 obese children (mean age = 10.03 years; mean body mass index = 27.37; %white = 29.37%; %female = 58.8%). Self-report surveys were used to collect data on rates of depressive symptoms, unhealthy weight control behaviours (UWCBs), teasing, sources of teasing and how much the teasing bothered the child. This study aimed to evaluate relationships between weight-related teasing and UWCBs and depression in obese children. Teasing by peers and/or family, negative feelings due to teasing, frequency of teasing, and number of teasing sources reported and associations with UWCBs and depression were analysed. Logistical and linear regressions were used to evaluate relationships between the teasing variables, depression and UWCBs, controlling for age and gender. Results indicated that children teased by other children have significantly higher levels of depression (B = 6.1 [SE = 2.3]) and are five times more likely to engage in UWCBs (OR = 5.1 [CI = 1.5-17.4]). Children who endorsed that teasing by peers bothered them had significantly higher levels of depression (B = 2.3 [SE = 0.8]). The frequency of weight-related teasing was significantly associated with depression (B = 2.5 [SE = 0.8]), as was the number of teasing sources (B = 4.6 [SE = 1.5]). No significant relationships were found between familial teasing and depression or UWCBs. Weight-related teasing, especially by other children, was associated with negative psychosocial measures in these obese children. Interventions are needed to reduce teasing, and longitudinal studies are recommended to understand the impact of teasing over time.

Teasing, Disordered Eating Behaviors, and Psychological Morbidities Among Overweight Adolescents

To assess whether weight-related teasing is associated with weight control behaviors, disordered eating thoughts and behaviors, and psychological comorbidities in overweight adolescents. A sample of 46 male and 84 female adolescents completed a survey assessing teasing frequency, sources of teasing (peers and family), weight control behaviors, disordered eating thoughts and behaviors, depression, anxiety, anger, and self-esteem. Frequent teasing by both family and peers was associated with greater disordered eating thoughts and behaviors, depression, anxiety, anger, and decreased self-esteem. The more that adolescents were bothered by peer and family teasing, the more often they reported a greater value on thinness, higher levels of anxiety, lower self-esteem, and their self-assessment was influenced by their weight and shape. Higher levels of teasing frequency and being bothered by teasing were related to greater odds of adolescents endorsing severe levels of binge eating behaviors and depressive symptomolgy. Overweight adolescents teased about their weight are at risk for disordered eating thoughts and behaviors and psychological morbidities. Health-care providers should involve parents and youth in discussing teasing concerns. Furthermore, parents, schools, and communities should consider enacting policies to decrease or prohibit teasing. Future research is needed to further explore relationships between teasing and psychological functioning.

Relationships Between Weight and Body Dissatisfaction, Body Esteem, and Teasing in African American Girls

This study assessed the relation between weight and weight-related factors (i.e., body dissatisfaction, body esteem, teasing frequency, and the effects of teasing) in a community sample of prepubescent African American girls. African American girls (N = 97) in Grades 3 to 5 completed the McKnight Risk Factor Survey—Third Edition and had their heights and weights taken to calculate body mass index (BMI). Participants were from two public elementary schools with a predominantly African American student population in a Southern metropolitan city of the United States. Increased weight was associated with higher levels of body dissatisfaction and a greater frequency of weight teasing by peers. Weight was not associated with body esteem. These relationships between weight and related factors may be important for understanding how weight affects psychosocial functioning in a community sample of African American girls.

‘Outlook’: A Psychological Service for Children with a Different Appearance

'Outlook' is a unit within North Bristol Trust which has been developing a psychosocial service for children, young people and adults with a different appearance resulting from congenital abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate and also burns and other forms of trauma. This study presents data collected from 29 children aged between 5 and 16 who received individual therapeutic interventions. The baseline assessment included a semistructured interview schedule, visual analogue scales and the CBCL (Achenbach, 1991) to provide the parents' view of their children's behaviour profile. Measures were repeated post intervention and at 6 months follow-up. The intervention consisted of four sessions of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) including social skills and problem-solving components. Statistical analyses revealed significant outcomes on a range of measures. At 6 months follow-up children reported a reduction in the frequency of teasing and in the degree of distress it caused both in the classroom and in the playground. Parents reported reductions in their children's' somatizing behaviour and levels of anxiety. These outcomes suggest that this approach represents an effective therapy for children with appearance-related psychological problems.

The impact of appearance-related teasing by family members

Purpose This study evaluated the prevalence and effects of teasing by family members on body dissatisfaction, eating disturbance, and psychological functioning. Methods Self-report data were collected from 372 middle school girls who were part of a larger study in a Tampa Bay, Florida area middle school (mean age: 12.6 years; 85% Caucasian). Results Twenty-three percent of participants reported appearance-related teasing by a parent, and 12% were teased by a parent about being heavy. Nineteen percent of the girls reported appearance-related teasing by fathers, 13% reported appearance-related teasing by mothers, and 29% reported appearance-related teasing by siblings. After controlling for body mass index (BMI) and maternal teasing, paternal teasing was a significant predictor of body dissatisfaction, comparison, thin-ideal internalization, restriction, bulimic behaviors, self-esteem, and depression. After controlling for BMI and paternal teasing, maternal teasing was a significant predictor of depression. After controlling for BMI and maternal teasing, paternal teasing significantly increased the odds of having a sibling who teases. Girls who reported being teased by at least one sibling demonstrated significantly higher levels of body dissatisfaction, comparison, thin-ideal internalization, restriction, bulimic behaviors, depression, and significantly lower levels of self-esteem than those girls who reported they were not teased by their siblings. Frequency of teasing was associated with higher levels of negative outcomes. Conclusions This study has implications for treatment and prevention of eating disorders. The results suggest that health care providers should assess appearance-related teasing in their patients’ lives to identify girls who may be at risk for body image and eating disturbance and poor psychological functioning.