Obesity-related Bullying, its impact, and how we can put an end to it

TO START, WHAT IS BULLYING IN GENERAL?

First of all, we all know that bullying is a form of violence that can be found in any kind of environment such as school, college, or even work. There are multiple forms of bullying, we can find; verbal harassment, sexual harassment, physical harassment, and many others. Bullying, in general, is the repeated action of an evil or violent treatment toward someone different, it can be based on their religion, skin color, ethics, or body form which is the subject of this article.

• Obesity-related Bullying

Obesity-related bullying is a form of bullying involving a kid or a group of children mocking or harassing another peer for his body form or weight. That kind of bullying can affect either boys or girls. They can be called bad names, teased, harmed physically, or even humiliated. 

According to the official website of the National Library of Medicine of the state of Maryland in the US, the most frequent type of victimization reported by obese teenagers is verbal, followed by relational bullying which is damaging someone’s relationships or reputation, cyberbullying, and physical aggression. It can happen anywhere and anytime; face-to-face or via a social media platform which makes the victim suffer at school and also at home or outside if their bullies live in the same neighborhood, and their life starts to feel awful. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, 63% of French children are obese/overweight and face the risk of becoming a victim of obesity-related bullying.

• A short testimonial from a friend:

“When I was younger, in primary school, I was around 9 or 10 years old, I was between overweight and obese.  It’s no secret that I loved food, and I still do, by the way, I just learned how to eat healthier. I was bullied because of my appearance which had never bothered me before their comments, but as I began to see myself the way they perceived me I started to feel insecure. They used to call me a cow or make pig sounds when they were around me, or tell me “One day, you’ll explode”, “Don’t show him your snacks, he will eat all of them, and maybe who knows he’ll eat you too” and joke about it like it was funny when it truly wasn’t. One time, a friend asked me if I was really that fat underneath my clothes and then would go to other classmates and talk badly about me, and that hurt me. Even after telling my mom who told the principal, the school didn’t do much about my case. The bullying lasted around 2 years and then I changed school for academic reasons. The only way I got over what they were telling me is the fact that I was good at school, being one of the best students so that was kind of my weapon that lowered the bullying” ~Anonymous

ITS IMPACT & HOW CAN WE HELP STOP IT?

Victims are often scared to speak up, because they lack confidence, and have no one to talk to. Being bullied can cause a child or adolescent to have negative thoughts and a lack of interest. They can be rejected by their peers, which can damage their reputation or their academic results, and make them hate school or recess, if the bullying gets more intense and worse the kid or teen may start having suicidal thoughts or start harming themselves.

To help put a stop to obesity-related bullying, parents can start telling their children that no one should deserve any kind of harassment because they’re different. Schools can start raising awareness from kindergarten. Parents should be aware of how their kids feel at school, and if the child is suffering, let him see a professional, remind the kid that it isn’t his fault, and teach them to stand up for themselves.

Our High School, for example, to raise awareness, made different initiatives based on the program pHARe against bullying to make the school a more habitable and joyful place for students. Teachers, school staff, parents, and students all collaborate to put an end to bullying.

If you ever witness any kind of bullying, it’s your responsibility to report it, because if you don’t, you become an accomplice of the bullying. Luckily our high school has many resources that you can use and they are intolerant and strict with this kind of behavior.

You can contact; [email protected] or one of your teachers.

Credit Image: Seventyfour, Istock

El Idrissi Salma