Empowering clinicians to support young people experiencing bullying
Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 13th November 2024
The theme this Anti-Bullying Week 2024 (Monday 11th – Friday 15th November) is: Choose Respect. From playgrounds to parliament, our homes to our phones, the campaign is calling for everyone to play their part in tackling bullying which negatively impacts millions of lives.
For many teenagers across the UK, braces are a right of passage. It’s often an exciting, transitional time as they make their way into adult life. Sadly, we know it can also be a time when teenagers experience bullying – whether that’s online or offline it can have a devastating life-long impact.
The British Orthodontic Society (BOS) wants to tackle this issue head-on by ensuring everyone working in the field of orthodontics is equipped with the tools to support young people. They are working with the anti-bullying experts Kidscape on top tips for all practitioners.
Early feedback on this new resource has been overwhelmingly positive. The initiative was launched at the British Orthodontic Conference in October. The launch included insights from research undertaken by Adnrew DiBiase alongside experiences of bullying from comedienne, influencer and ambassador for Kidscape, Olga Thompson, also known as Big Fat Greek Mother.
Numerous clinicians and parents have already engaged on the issue and are sharing the resources with their workforce.
Speaking about the impact so far, Paula Timms CEO of Kidscape says “When I was speaking to delegates at BOC I was struck by how many people were impacted by the issue and how they were motivated to find out how they can support young people coming in for orthodontic treatment. Some shared their personal experiences too.”
Research has shown that there is a correlation between malocclusion, self-esteem issues and bullying. Being bullied is often a motivating factor in seeking orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontists may be the first healthcare professionals to know of a bullying issue, and therefore it is helpful to deepen their knowledge of bullying, its impact on young people, and appropriate support and signposting.
Research undertaken by Andrew DiBiase with a sample of 700 school children, 10-14yrs, revealed that children are bullied because of their teeth – particularly due to them sticking out. This is mainly name calling, mean comments and teasing. In addition, children with an aesthetically handicapping malocclusion are more likely to feel lonely at school and this is especially prevalent in girls.
On a positive note, the research also demonstrated how orthodontic treatment can transform people’s perception of themselves with a positive impact on self-esteem. This was bought to life at BOC in Birmingham in October where Ryan, 30yrs, and Katherine, 19yrs, talked about the impact of both bullying on young people and how, more positively, orthodontic treatment can transform lives for the better.
Anjli Patel, Director of External Relations, BOS says: “The BOS wants everyone working in orthodontics to know how to support a young person that might be experiencing bullying. We’re not the experts in bullying so we’re delighted to be working alongside the anti-bullying charity Kidscape. We look forward to this being an ongoing initiative.”
Paula Timms, CEO of Kidscape, says: “At Kidscape, we understand the impact of bullying on children’s mental health and wellbeing. This research has highlighted that children are often bullied due to their appearance relating to malocclusion. This highlights to us the importance of ensuring that professionals working within orthodontics and dentistry are able to respond effectively to children and young people who are bullied. We are excited that the collaboration with The British Orthodontic Society will enable us to work together to tackle bullying and help more children stay safe from harm.”
https://bos.org.uk/professionals-members/bullying/
