Mary D Overpeck, DrPH¹, Darmendra Ramcharran, MPH², Tonja R. Nansel, PhD³, Mary Hediger, PhD⁴, Rebecca Ledsky, MBA², and Catherine Vladutiu, MPH¹. (1) Maternal and Child Health Bureau/Office of Data and Information Management, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18-41, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-443-0694, overpecM@hrsa.gov, (2) Health Systems Research, Inc., 1200 18th St, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, (3) Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research/Prevention Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6100 Executive Blvd., Rm 7B05, MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510, (4) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, 6100 Executive Blvd., Rm 7B--3, Bethesda, MD 20892

Purpose: To describe associations of bullying behavior with pubertal stages, height, body size, and self-perceptions in male adolescents. Males are involved in bullying more than females, with prevalence peaking during pubertal development. Methods: Based on a nationally representative school-based survey of grades 6-10 performed in 2000/01. Self-reported school bullying behaviors were defined by frequency of occurrence of either no bullying or occurrence > once a week. Involved males were classified as bullies, bullied, or bully/victims. Height and weight relative to age were used to compare body mass index (BMI) and height. Pubertal stages from 1-5 were assigned according to facial hair location and amount. Results: Bullying and being a bully/victim increased with pubertal stages. Boys at stage 5 were 1.7 times more likely to bully than boys at stages 1 & 2. Boys with BMIs lower than typical for age were more likely to be bully/victims than heavier counterparts. Boys with BMI’s higher than typical were more likely to be bullied. No significant trends were seen by BMI or height for bullies. Shorter boys were more likely to be bullied or bully/victims. Bullying behavior related to self-perceptions of being “too fat”, not good looking, in fair/poor health or belonging to less than average affluent families were consistent with BMI associations. Conclusion: Pubertal stage, body size and image, and self-perceptions are associated with bullying behaviors – suggesting need to understand societal perceptions and interactions around size.

Learning Objectives:

1)To recognize a strong factor contributing to adolescent homicide and suicide 2)To identify how male puberty and body size may affect which students bully others, are bullied, or are bully/victims
• To assess the impact of puberty on the U.S. prevalence of male bullying

Keywords: Youth Violence, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.