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School-Focused Interventions for Weight-Based Victimization in Youth
Rebecca L Pearl1, David M Janicke2
1Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, PO Box 100165, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0165, USA. rebecca.pearl@ufl.edu.
Purpose Of Review:
To summarize the evidence supporting interventions for weight-based victimization (WBV) among youth, particularly in school settings.
Recent Findings:
Structural-level laws and policies to prevent and reduce bullying are effective but rarely include weight. Similarly, despite the high prevalence of WBV among students, weight is not commonly addressed in school anti-bullying interventions, including those that target bias-based bullying. School-based eating disorder prevention programs do not effectively prevent or reduce WBV, and interventions focused specifically on WBV lack rigorous testing. Evidence-based interventions to support youth who have experienced WBV are needed. Greater attention to WBV is warranted in anti-bullying laws, policies, and school-based interventions. Identifying opportunities to include weight in existing anti-bullying interventions and developing new interventions for WBV are needed to reduce weight-based disparities in youth victimization.
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