Mariane Sentenac

Victims of Bullying Among Students With a Disability or Chronic Illness and Their Peers: A Cross-National Study Between Ireland and France

PURPOSEnTo explore bullying victimization among French and Irish students with a disability or chronic illness (D/CI), considering individual, social, and family factors. We investigated this issue in France and Ireland because of the documented differences between these two countries on relevant contextual factors.nnnMETHODSnData from 12,048 students aged 11, 13, and 15 years (50.1% were boys) as part of the cross-national study 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children were analyzed. Self-completion questionnaires were administered in classrooms; information on socio-demographic characteristics, bullying involvement, D/CI, school participation, social network, and family were collected. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed with individual, social, and family cofactors.nnnRESULTSnOverall, the prevalence of bullying victimization was significantly higher in France compared with Ireland (34.2% [33.1-35.5] and 25.9% [24.5-27.4, respectively]). Youngest were more likely to report victimization; however, no gender differences were observed. In both countries, students with D/CI were significantly more likely to report that they have been bullied compared with students without D/CI, and a significant additional risk of being bullied was found when students reported D/CI with restriction in school participation. Regardless of country and D/CI status, being bullied was significantly associated with weaker social support and difficulty of communication with fathers, with even stronger associations found among students with D/CI.nnnCONCLUSIONnAdolescents with D/CI are more likely to be victimized than their peers, with a similar risk in both countries. Besides individual, social and family factors are consistently associated to bullying victimization across countries. These results will guide future antibullying prevention programs.

Peer Victimization Among School-aged Children With Chronic Conditions

Peer victimization is a common problem among school-aged children, and those with chronic conditions are at an increased risk. A systematic review of the literature was carried out to explore the increased risk of peer victimization among children with chronic conditions compared with others, considering a variety of chronic conditions; and to assess intervention programs designed to reduce negative attitudes or peer victimization at school toward children with chronic conditions. Various data sources were used (PubMed, ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science), and 59 studies published between 1991 and 2011 and mainly carried out in North American and European countries were included in the review. A higher level of peer victimization among children with chronic conditions was shown for each type of condition explored in this review (psychiatric diagnoses, learning difficulties, physical and motor impairments, chronic illnesses, and overweight). Despite a substantial number of studies having shown a significant association between chronic conditions and peer victimization, intervention studies aiming to reduce bullying among these children were rarely evaluated. The findings of this review suggest a growing need to develop and implement specific interventions targeted at reducing peer victimization among children with chronic conditions.

Peer victimization and subjective health among students reporting disability or chronic illness in 11 Western countries

BACKGROUNDnTo compare the strength of the association between peer victimization at school and subjective health according to the disability or chronic illness (D/CI) status of students across countries.nnnMETHODSnThis study used data from 55 030 students aged 11, 13 and 15 years from 11 countries participating in the 2005-06 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. Self-completed questionnaires were administered in classrooms. Multivariate models of logistic regression (controlled for confounding factors and countries) were used to investigate differences in the association between peer victimization and poor subjective health according to the D/CI status.nnnRESULTSnOverall, 13.5% of the students reported having been bullied at least two or three times a month. The percentage of victims was significantly higher among those reporting D/CI than among others in all countries studied. Victims of bullying were more likely to report poor self-rated health, low life satisfaction and multiple health complaints. However, there were no differences in the associations between peer victimization and subjective health indicators according to the D/CI status.nnnCONCLUSIONSnIn all countries studied, students reporting D/CI were more likely to report being victims of bullying. Victims of bullying reported more negative subjective health outcomes regardless of their D/CI status. Although inclusive education is currently a major topic of educational policies in most countries, additional efforts should be made to improve the quality of the integration of students with D/CI.

Improving attitudes towards children with disabilities in a school context: a cluster randomized intervention study.

Aimu2002 Although inclusive education of disabled children is now an accepted practice, it is often challenged by negative peer attitudes. We undertook an interventional study aimed at improving students’ attitudes towards their disabled peers.

Determinants of inclusive education of 8-12 year-old children with cerebral palsy in 9 European regions

The principle of inclusive education has been increasingly recognised over recent decades and most countries officially support schooling of children with disabilities in mainstream settings. The SPARCLE study offers the opportunity to report on the schooling practices for children with cerebral palsy according to the nature and severity of their impairments and the schooling policy in European regions. The aim of this paper is to describe the type of schooling of children with cerebral palsy in various European regions after controlling for relevant individual factors. Children aged 8-12 years with cerebral palsy from 9 European regions and their families were interviewed. Our findings support the hypothesis that between-region variations in the type of schooling are still significant after adjustment for individual factors; and that motor function and intellectual ability have different effects on inclusion in mainstream school, depending on the region.

Associations between life contexts and early sexual initiation among young women in France

CONTEXTnEarly sexual initiation (before age 16) has been linked to an increased risk of teenage pregnancy and STDs. Most research on correlates of early sexual initiation is from the United States; no similar work has been conducted in France, where the sociocultural environment differs.nnnMETHODSnCross-sectional data from the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey were used to examine the relationships of personal, family, peer, school and neighborhood characteristics with early sexual initiation among 1,094 French females in grades 8-10. Two-level logistic regressions were used to identify associations.nnnRESULTSnTwenty-five percent of respondents had had sex before age 16. Early sexual initiation was primarily -associated with individual-level characteristics. Young women had an elevated likelihood of having initiated sex early if they went out after school at least four times a week (odds ratio, 2.0), had repeated a grade (1.8), lived with a single parent or in a stepfamily (1.8 and 1.5, respectively), perceived a low level of parental monitoring (1.6) or had two or more male friends (2.8). At the environmental level, respondents who attended school in areas with a high proportion of residents who were foreigners had a reduced likelihood of having initiated sex early (0.5-0.6).nnnCONCLUSIONSnAlthough early sexual initiation in France was essentially linked to individual-level variables, further research is needed to understand its relationship with neighborhood characteristics. Such studies should include additional environmental variables, test new hypotheses and employ a longitudinal approach.

Weight concerns among adolescent boys.

OBJECTIVEnTo investigate weight concerns among adolescent boys and relationships with health indicators and family factors.nnnDESIGNnAnalysis of the 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey of 10-17-year-olds.nnnSETTINGnSchools in the Republic of Ireland.nnnRESULTSnAmong 6187 boys, 25.1% reported a desire to lose weight (weight loss concern) and 7.7% reported a desire to gain weight (weight gain concern). Both types of weight concerns were associated with poor self-rated health, life satisfaction and happiness, and with more frequent emotional and physical symptoms. Family factors were associated with boys weight concerns. In adjusted analyses, the risk of weight loss concerns decreased with daily family breakfasts (OR=0.80; 95% CI 0.66, 0.97). The risk of weight gain concerns decreased with frequent family evening meals (OR=0.77; 95% CI 0.60, 0.99). Ease of communication with mother was associated with a decreased risk of weight loss and weight gain concerns among boys (OR=0.74; 95% CI 0.60, 0.90 and OR=0.61; 95% CI 0.44, 0.82, respectively). An open father-son relationship and having a father present in the home decreased the risk of weight loss concerns (OR=0.69; 95% CI 0.57, 0.82 and OR=0.81; 95% CI 0.67, 0.98, respectively).nnnCONCLUSIONSnBody weight concerns were reported by a sizeable minority of boys and were associated with negative health outcomes. The findings support the need to promote frequent family meals and facilitate open communication in families.