Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Mental Health

Study of adults with ADHD links childhood clumsiness to a higher likelihood of being bullied

by Beth Ellwood
October 6, 2022
in Mental Health, Social Psychology

[Subscribe to PsyPost Premium to enjoy an ad-free experience! Click here to sign up.]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

New research published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research adds to evidence suggesting that children who are clumsy are more likely to be victims of bullying. The study, conducted among an ADHD sample, found that adults who said they performed poorly in physical education class as children were more likely to say they were bullied by peers.

Psychology research has unearthed various risk factors for being victimized in school. These characteristics tend to share a common theme — being different than other kids. For example, children with physical disabilities or mental disorders are more likely to be targets of bullying.

Study author Susanne Bejerot and her research team note that these risk factors often coexist. For example, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often present with motor coordination difficulties, which is commonly described as clumsiness. And both ADHD and clumsiness have been associated with a higher likelihood of being bullied.

“I noticed that many of my patients with OCD, autism, or ADHD often were clumsy, and it is well known that children with development coordination disorder (DCD), which equals to being clumsy, often are bully victims,” explained Bejerot, a professor of psychiatry at Örebro University. “It fascinated me that patients with social anxiety disorder were not clumsy and not bullied to any higher rate than so called normal controls. To be bullied throughout school is devastating for many children.”

The researchers set out to re-explore the link between motor skills and bully victimization among a large ADHD sample. The participants were 403 adults with ADHD who were recruited from outpatient clinics in Sweden. The adults completed questionnaires where they were asked questions related to their school days. As a measure of motor coordination, participants were asked whether their performance in physical education class — defined by ball dexterity, coordination, and agility — was below average at age 12. They were also asked whether they were victims or perpetrators of bullying during school.

The results revealed that 20% of the respondents reported having been both victims and perpetrators of bullying in school, 43% of the respondents reported being victims only, and 11% reported being perpetrators only. Poor motor coordination was also common — 32% of the sample reported below average performance in physical education class, which is almost twice the rate previously reported in non-clinical populations.

Participants who had performed below average in gym class were more likely to have been victims of bullying — 78% of those with below average motor skills were victims of bullying versus 56% of those whose skills were not below average. By contrast, there was no association between motor coordination and bully perpetration.

In tune with past studies, the findings suggest a strong connection between poor motor skills and likelihood of being bullied. According to the study authors, this connection might be explained by the fact that motor skills and social skills are deeply intertwined — to perform well socially, a person needs competent motor skills. For example, social interactions require being able to execute and interpret facial expressions, postures, and features of speech. Children with deficits in these areas come across as different from their peers and may end up being rejected.

The authors further pointed out that social skills and motor skills share connections in the brain. The cerebellum is involved in the coordination of movement and also social and cognitive function.

“Clumsiness is not the reason for being bullied, rather it is known known that the cerebellum, i.e. the area in the brain that is important for our motor skills, has a crucial role for coordination and connection of sequenced motor actions,” Bejerot told PsyPost. For example, communicating appropriately requires coordination and timing in conversation through precise motor actions.

“No known physical or environmental risk factor for bully victimization is on par with the impact of clumsiness,” Bejerot and colleagues wrote, “the clumsy child has an approximately threefold elevated risk to be victimized compared to the non-clumsy counterpart.” The researchers say that exercises to improve muscle strength and coordination might be helpful for these vulnerable children, in addition to special attention from teachers.

Overall, the findings are in line with a body of past research suggesting that motor coordination difficulties and developmental disorders are risk factors for victimization. But like any study that relies on participant recall, the authors say there is a risk of recall bias — the adult respondents may be underestimating or exaggerating their memories of childhood bullying.

“People should know that the clumsy child is more vulnerable to being bullied than other children,” Bejerot said. “I believe it is important to keep an eye on them in school to protect them. Also, as they don’t excel in group sports parents and teachers should enable them to test single sports like swimming, biking, or running or riding. They should not need to be humiliated in the school PE.”

The study, “Below average motor skills predict victimization from childhood bullies: A study of adults with ADHD”, was authored by Susanne Bejerot, Lovisa Ståtenhag, and Martin R. Glans.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin3Send
Previous Post

Cryptocurrency users with gambling affinity are more involved mentally and financially than non-gambling users

Next Post

Lower empathy partially explains why political conservatism is associated with riskier pandemic lifestyles

STAY CONNECTED

Find these awesome psychology shirts and more at the PsyPost Store!

TRENDING

New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

People with social anxiety more likely to become overdependent on conversational artificial intelligence agents

Engaging in LGBQ activism is associated with positive psychological functioning among sexual minorities

Diversity of the gut microbiota is associated with the severity of depression

Nostalgia increases in the wake of psychological distress and serves to relieve it, study suggests

RECENT

Contrary to prior research, Brazilian study finds economic scarcity is not linked to racial perception

Individuals prompted to experience gratitude and indebtedness are more likely to behave in prosocial ways

Engaging in LGBQ activism is associated with positive psychological functioning among sexual minorities

Vegans are perceived as less suitable for jobs stereotypically associated with masculinity, study finds

People with social anxiety more likely to become overdependent on conversational artificial intelligence agents

New study highlights several key predictors of gratitude to God

Women show higher levels of intrasexual competition than men

Breathing exercises show potential in modulating Alzheimer’s biomarkers, study finds

Currently Playing

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

Cognitive Science
Higher prenatal testosterone exposure is linked to Machiavellianism and psychopathy, study suggests

Higher prenatal testosterone exposure is linked to Machiavellianism and psychopathy, study suggests

Dark Triad
New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

Relationships and Sexual Health
Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Mental Health
New study sheds light on cognitive mechanisms linked to hypnosis

Chronic intake of refined carbohydrates between meals is associated with decreased cognitive performance, study finds

Cognitive Science
Mindfulness might hinder prosocial behavior among individuals with high intelligence

Mindfulness might hinder prosocial behavior among individuals with high intelligence

Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.