Associations between bullying and risk for eating disorders in adolescents

Abstract

Objectives: to analyze the associations between bullying participation profiles (victims, bullies, and bully-victims) and the risk for eating disorders in adolescents. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted with 491 students, aged 10 to 18 years. Data were collected through the application of the Peer Victimization and Aggression Scale and the Eating Attitudes Test, and were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Spearman correlation. Results: the risk for eating disorders was higher for the victim profile, both for boys and girls. For both sexes, physical victimization, verbal victimization, and relational victimization were significantly associated with variables related to the risk for eating disorders. For boys, there were also significant associations related to aggression. Conclusions: student victims, especially boys, are more vulnerable to the consequences of bullying in relation to the risk for eating disorders.