Pound for Pound, Who is the Bigger Bully?

• In Event: Linkages Between Aggression, Impulse Control, and Bullying Behaviors

Abstract

A great deal of research investigates weight as a predictor for victimization. In general, these studies find that overweight youth are at risk for bullying because of their size. Weight and/or relative size is not as often investigated as a predictor for bullying perpetration, despite the fact that the definition of bullying typically requires a power imbalance, which can refer to either social power or physical size. This is an especially salient question in light of understanding the perpetration of cyberbullying, where victimization theories would suggest that smaller victims would be more likely to engage in perpetration because the perceived power imbalance may no longer exist in the virtual world. We investigate weight as a predictor of bullying behaviors, including physical, social, and through online media. We explore whether weight is a more salient predictor of behavior for boys or girls. We also examine whether certain protective factors, like a positive school environment, moderate the effect of weight on bullying behavior.

Authors

• Natalie Schell-Busey, Rowan University

• Nadine M. Connell, University of Texas at Dallas