Prevalence and nature of bullying in schoolchildren aged 10–14 years and its association with malocclusion: A cross-sectional study in the South East of the UK

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of, and relationship between, bullying and malocclusion in schoolchildren aged 10–14 years in the South East of the UK. Design: Cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: Sixteen primary and secondary schools in South East of the UK. Participants: Schoolchildren aged 10–14 years who were consented to participate. Methods: The prevalence and nature of bullying were measured using a questionnaire. Traits of malocclusion and the need for orthodontic treatment was assessed by clinical examination and determined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) Dental Health (DHC) and Aesthetic components (AC). Results: Complete data were collected for 698 participants. The number defined as being bullied was 68 (9.7%). There was no difference in the prevalence of bullying between gender, ethnicity or age. Higher rates of bullying were reported in mixed sex schools ( P = 0.03). Participants with an increased overjet ( P = 0.02) and/or a greater need for treatment, as measured by IOTN DHC ( P = 0.01) and AC ( P = 0.01), reported higher rates of bullying. While there was no difference in the overall prevalence of bullying between genders, boys were more likely than girls to experience physical bullying ( P <0.001) and being called names ( P = 0.03) Conclusion: A significant relationship was evident between being bullied and certain traits of malocclusion.