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Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school

Date:
November 14, 2012
Source:
University of Warwick
Summary:
Children whose mothers were overly stressed during pregnancy are more likely to become victims of bullying at school, according to new research.
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Children whose mothers were overly stressed during pregnancy are more likely to become victims of bullying at school.

New research from the University of Warwick shows stress and mental health problems in pregnant women may affect the developing baby and directly increases the risk of the child being victimized in later life.

The study has been published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and is based on 8,829 children from the Avon Longtitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

Professor Dieter Wolke, Professor of Developmental Psychology at University of Warwick and Warwick Medical School headed up the study.

He said: "This is the first study to investigate stress in pregnancy and a child's vulnerability to being bullied. When we are exposed to stress, large quantities of neurohormones are released into the blood stream and in a pregnant woman this can change the developing fetus' own stress response system.

"Changes in the stress response system can affect behaviour and how children react emotionally to stress such as being picked on by a bully. Children who more easily show a stress reaction such as crying, running away, anxiety are then selected by bullies to home in to."

The research team identified the main prenatal stress factors as severe family problems, such as financial difficulty or alcohol/drug abuse, and maternal mental health.

Professor Wolke added: "The whole thing becomes a vicious cycle, a child with an altered stress response system is more likely to be bullied, which affects their stress response even further and increases the likelihood of them developing mental health problems in later life."


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Warwick. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Suzet Tanya Lereya, Dieter Wolke. Prenatal family adversity and maternal mental health and vulnerability to peer victimisation at school. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2012; DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12012

Cite This Page:

University of Warwick. "Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 November 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114083821.htm>.
University of Warwick. (2012, November 14). Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114083821.htm
University of Warwick. "Babies born to stressed mothers more likely to be bullied at school." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121114083821.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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