2021/11/16 by Jacqlyn L. Yourell, Jacqlyn Yourell, J. Doty +1
Health Professions · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression #Gun Ownership and Violence Research #Obesity and Health Practices
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/josh.13101
crossref issued 2021/11/16 · crossref published 2021/11/16 · crossref published-online 2021/11/16 · openalex publication_date 2021/11/16 · crossref created 2021/11/17 · crossref published-print 2022/01/01 · crossref deposited 2023/08/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
BACKGROUND: Youth with obesity are likely to experience weight-based bullying victimization, and adolescents have the highest obesity rates among children. Factors that protect youth from traditional bullying victimization may protect youth from weight-based bullying victimization: internal assets such as positive identity and social competence, and external assets such as perceived support from parents and friends. METHODS: To examine this proposition, data from 8th, 9th, and 11th graders were obtained from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 126,495). Logistic regressions were conducted to identify the relationship between assets and weight-based bullying and to determine possible moderation by weight status. RESULTS: Results demonstrate that positive identity, parent support, and friend support were associated with lower odds of experiencing weight-based bullying victimization. Moderation analyses revealed that perceived parent support was most protective against experiencing weight-based bullying victimization among youth with obesity compared to youth with overweight, normal weight, or underweight. CONCLUSION: School administrators, counselors, and teachers should be aware of the increased risk of weight-based bullying for youth with obesity and underweight. Results underscore the need to foster youth's internal assets like positive identity to promote a strength-based approach for prevention. Parent involvement is warranted in weight-based bullying prevention efforts.