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Peer Victimization in Extremely Low Birth Weight Survivors
Kimberly L Day1, Ryan J Van Lieshout2, Tracy Vaillancourt3
1McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada dayk1@mcmaster.ca.
Insights
Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children, particularly girls, face higher risks of verbal peer victimization. Higher IQ in ELBW children also correlates with increased verbal bullying, while lower BMI in ELBW girls is linked to physical victimization.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Epidemiology
Background:
- Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors (<1000 g) may experience increased vulnerability to peer victimization.
- This study utilizes the oldest prospectively followed, population-based birth cohort of ELBW survivors for retrospective analysis.
- Peer victimization is a significant concern for child development and social integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the incidence of verbal and physical peer victimization between ELBW children and their non-ELBW peers.
- To identify child characteristics that predict peer victimization within the ELBW population.
- To inform parents and clinicians about specific risks faced by ELBW children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of peer victimization (verbal and physical) in a population-based cohort.
- Comparison of victimization rates between ELBW children and a control group.
- Statistical prediction of peer victimization using child characteristics (IQ, BMI) in the ELBW sample.
Main Results:
- ELBW children exhibited a significantly increased risk for verbal peer victimization compared to controls, with girls being particularly affected.
- No significant difference in physical victimization rates was observed between ELBW and control children.
- Within the ELBW group, higher IQ predicted increased verbal victimization, while lower childhood body mass index (BMI) predicted increased physical victimization in females.
Conclusions:
- ELBW girls, especially those with lower childhood BMI, are at heightened risk for peer victimization.
- ELBW children with higher IQ scores are also more susceptible to verbal victimization.
- Awareness among parents and clinicians is crucial for early identification and intervention strategies for at-risk ELBW children.
Background:
Extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) children may be at risk for experiencing peer victimization. We examined retrospectively reported peer victimization in ELBW and control children in the oldest known, prospectively followed, population-based birth cohort of ELBW survivors.
Method:
We compared levels of verbal and physical peer victimization in ELBW and control children. We also predicted peer victimization in the ELBW sample from child characteristics.
Results:
ELBW children, especially girls, were at an increased risk for verbal, but not physical victimization. In addition, ELBW children with a higher IQ reported higher levels of verbal victimization, although ELBW females who had a lower body mass index in childhood reported higher levels of physical victimization.
Conclusion:
Findings highlight the need for parents and clinicians to be aware that ELBW girls, especially those with a lower body mass index in childhood, may be at increased risk of peer victimization, as are ELBW children with a higher IQ.
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