4 research outputs found
A narrative study of adults who were bullied by a sibling in childhood
Background: It is argued that sibling relationships are often overlooked in favour of parent child relationships. Sibling interactions have the potential to be emotionally intimate and complex, and experiences can influence later psychological development. Research exploring the significance of sibling relationships is developing, with the majority of studies focussing on the protective nature of this relationship. There has been limited curiosity into the expression of adultsâ stories of being bullied by a sibling in childhood. By exploring peopleâs stories, this study aims to consider what it means to be bullied by a sibling â that is,
it will explore the broad question of âhow do adults describe and make sense of their childhood sibling bullying experiences?â
Method: A qualitative research paradigm was chosen for this study. The method of narrative inquiry was employed, using the Narrative Orientated Inquiry approach. Interviews were completed with seven adults who perceived themselves to have been bullied by a sibling in childhood.
Results: Adultsâ experiences were understood within the context of content and form. The content of peopleâs stories were considered alongside the way in which they told their story, facilitating an understanding of what and how they integrated their experiences into the
construction of their narrative identities. Adults described their perceptions of sibling bullying and the barriers to defining experience, as well as the impact on their later, sibling relationships. The results also indicated that emotional expression associated with the event
varied for every narrator, as they moved towards integration of experience.
Discussion: The findings are discussed within existing theoretical models of sibling bullying and subject and identity positioning theory. The clinical implications are framed within psychoanalytic theory and in relation to the perceived acceptability of sibling bullying
Objectification theory predicts college womenâs attitudes toward cosmetic surgery
This study investigated cosmetic surgery attitudes
within the framework of objectification theory. One hundred
predominantlyWhite, British undergraduate women completed
self-report measures of impression management, global selfesteem,
interpersonal sexual objectification, self-surveillance,
body shame, and three components of cosmetic surgery
attitudes. As expected, each of the objectification theory
variables predicted greater consideration of having cosmetic
surgery in the future. Also, as expected, sexual objectification
and body shame uniquely predicted socialmotives for cosmetic
surgery, whereas self-surveillance uniquely predicted intrapersonal
motives for cosmetic surgery. These findings suggest that
womenâs acceptance of cosmetic surgery as a way to
manipulate physical appearance can be partially explained by
the degree to which they view themselves through the lenses of
sexual and self-objectification
Reducing recurrent care proceedings: initial evidence from new interventions
The English family justice system faces a crisis of recurrence. As many as one in four birth mothers involved in public law care proceedings in English family courts are likely to reappear in a subsequent set of proceedings within seven years. These mothers are involved in up to one-third of total care applications, as they are â by definition â linked to more than one child . Few birth mothers experiencing the removal of a child to care are offered any follow-up support, despite often facing multiple challenges including poverty, addiction, domestic violence and mental health problems. Since 2011, however, a number of new services have been established to begin to address their unmet needs. This article summarises the findings of the first academic-led evaluation of two of these initiatives. Presenting evidence from a mixed-methods evaluative study, it concludes that the new services were able to foster relationships that âworkedâ in reducing recurrent proceedings. None of the women engaging with the services went on to experience what could be described as a ârapid repeat pregnancyâ within the evaluation window. Just as significantly, a number of clients reported some improvement in their psychological functioning, and the practitioners involved reported positively on their experience of delivering and managing innovative services. The article closes with a discussion of the challenges of evaluating personalised, strengths-based interventions and the possibilities of evidencing empowerment in these cases
Predicting excessive body image concerns among British university students: The unique role of appearance-based rejection sensitivity
The present research examined the extent to which interpersonal concerns about rejection based on appearance, or Appearance-based Rejection Sensitivity (Appearance-RS), serves as an indicator of risk for excessive body image concerns. Extending previous research, we examined the association between Appearance-RS and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and cosmetic surgery attitudes among 106 British university students. Consistent with predictions, Appearance-RS uniquely predicted greater degree of BDD symptoms after controlling for other known predictor variables. Also, as expected, Appearance-RS uniquely predicted acceptance of cosmetic surgery for both intrapersonal and social reasons and greater consideration of having cosmetic surgery in the future. These findings highlight the importance of assessing individuals' sensitivity to rejection from others based on their physical appearance in investigations of excessive body image concerns