Sexually active young girls likely to be bullied in high school

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: October 9, 2014 8:07 pm

Social bullying should be tackled effectively. © Shutterstock

Sexually active high school girls are more likely to be bullied compared with boys who are also sexually active, says an important study. Girls who have engaged in sexual intercourse are almost twice as likely to be bullied, said researchers from the Brown University. ‘If you look at boys in the same category, it is not as significant,’ said lead author Hailee Dunn from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the university. Also Read - Genes linked to common brain disorder, Chiari 1 malformation, identified

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The study analysed 13,065 high school boys and girls who took the ‘Youth Risk Behaviour Survey’ in 2011. Also Read - Kids who take steroids at increased risk for diabetes: Know the other side effects of this medication

The participants were asked two questions about bullying, and those who answered yes to at least one of the questions were classified as having been bullied. Researchers found that girls who became sexually active at younger ages were found to be more prone to bullying than those who were not sexually active until they were older.

‘The study is correlational so researchers can conclude only that these two variables are related, not which one might lead to the other. ‘For example, it’s possible that girls who are bullied then go out and engage in promiscuous behavior,’ Dunn said. ‘We are further looking to see if the sexual double standard applies to heterosexual youth and sexual minorities in the same way,’ Dunn pointed out. However, bullying intervention for both boys and girls is the key, she concluded.

The study appeared in the journal Women’s Health Issues.

Here are some signs that indicate that your child may be a victim of bullying:

Loss of stationary or supplies: This is a prime sign that says your child is being bullied at school, especially if not usually in the habit of losing things. A bully will always pick on your child and try to snatch away stationeries and other necessities that your child might posses. This is not due to the fact that the bully is in need of such things, but depriving your child from his or her goodies gives the bully immense pleasure. This in fact hurts your child deeply, knowing that he isn t able to defend or protect himself. This feeling of despair makes him more vulnerable to the bully. So check your child s school bag meticulously to know if everything is intact. Missing stationary or supplies may be a sign that you need to investigate the matter a little deeper. Don t hit the panic button every time your child loses something, but be cautious and try to gauge the situation thoroughly.

Severe mood swings: If your child was always a playful, bundle of joy and suddenly transformed into a quiet shy kid, who prefers to retreat into his own little world, this is a definite give-away. Remember, with children sudden mood swings aren t to be ignored. Especially if you notice that your child is very withdrawn after coming home from school. With an introvert it may be a different story altogether. An introvert child when bullied can turn out to be a bubble of energy at home. But these energies aren t channelled in the right direction and would usually be expressed in bouts of aggressive and violent behaviour. Read more about 10 ways to tell if your child is being bullied at school.

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

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Published : September 24, 2014 9:55 am | Updated:October 9, 2014 8:07 pm

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