title: Accounts of bullying on Twitter in relation to dentofacial features and orthodontic treatment.
abstract: Social media offers an accessible resource for gaining valuable insights into the social culture of bullying. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyse Twitter posts for common themes relating to dentofacial features, braces and bullying. Twitter's database was searched from 2010 to 2014 using keywords relevant to bullying, teeth and orthodontics. Two investigators assessed the Twitter posts, and selected those that conveyed the experiences or opinions of bullying victims. The posts were qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. Of the 548 posts screened, 321 were included in the final sample. Four primary categories relating to 'dental-related bullying' were identified: (i) morphological features, (ii) psychological and psychosocial impact, (iii) coping mechanisms and (iv) the role of family. Bullied individuals reported a diverse range of psychological impacts and coping mechanisms. Secondary categories were also identified. Family members, for example, were found to play both a contributory and mediatory role in bullying. In summary, social media can provide new and valuable information about the causal factors and social issues associated with oral health-related bullying. Importantly, some coping mechanisms may mitigate the negative effects of bullying.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2159-3610
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Antoun
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Morgaine
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farella
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D004644:Emotions; D004954:Esthetics / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D061108:Social Media
keywords: Twitter; bullying; coping mechanisms; psychological impact; qualitative analysis; social media; teeth