This doctoral research examines online violence involving self-harm and dangerous eating behaviors among children on the web. The researcher analyzed 11 Portuguese and Brazilian blogs written by youth aged 13-19 discussing topics like diets, exercise, cutting, and suicide. Many blogs included thinspiration materials and tips for losing weight secretly. Testimonials discussed feelings of control, perfectionism, and loneliness. The research suggests the internet can negatively proliferate these communities and encourage risky behaviors by providing social connections and maintaining disorders.
“I love my bones!” Online violence involving children: Self-harm and dangerous eating behaviours on the Web
1. “I love my bones!” Online violence involving children:
Self-harm and dangerous eating behaviours on the Web
Teresa Castro, António Osório
Instituto de Educação, Universidade do Minho
This doctoral investigation is financed by POPH – QREN – Type 4.1 – Advanced
Training, European Social Fund and Portuguese national funding from the Ministry of
teresa.sofia.castro@gmail.com
Education and Science, through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under a
research grant with the reference SFRH/BD/68288/2010.
2. PhD research
What is Online Violence?
3 kinds of approach: content, contact, conduct
3. Contents: pro-anorexia
1. Public and easily available
2. Active role of children:
-production
-dissemination
3. Major concern for parents
http://cake1983.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/the-truth-about-annas-web/
4. Anorexia vs. pro-anorexia
Disease vs. lifestyle
ED sufferers
Wannarexics
Hater’s
Faker’s
http://thejumellesproject.com/2012/09/fashionista-friday-2/
Social movement
• Provide information
• Sense of belonging/community
• Promotion of anorexia/anti-recovery
5. The research
Sample: 11 Weblogs (B1 to B11) | ♀ 9 / ♂ 2
Portugal 6 / Brazil 7 | y 13...19
6. The research
Approach:
qualitative content analysis
Criteria:
• Portuguese written
• Youth target age group
• active blogs
• Significant content
• Publicly available
Results:
• Common features
• Common contents
• Anorexic testimonials http://popsmartszen.com/2010/08/19/pro-ana-anorexia-websites-sticks-stones-bones/
7. Results: Common features/content
Topics: diets, physical
exercise, cutting, suicide, drugs, medic
al experiences…
Thinspiration material:
quotes, music, videos, pictures…
Tips and tricks: lose weight, hide
weight loss, deceive parents…
Widgets: body mass index, ideal
weight calculator, fat percentage
calculator…
Contests: challenges
Slang: NF, NFC …
Fonte: http://fashioningcircuits.com/?p=226
8. Results: Anorexic testimonials
About:
control, perfection, problems with parents, siblings or boyfriends/girlfriends
Feelings:
misunderstanding, frustration, depression, conflict, loneliness, insecurities
“I know I'm killing myself but remaining fat is worse than dying” (B3)
“I feel disgusted with myself” (B9)
“(…) my mother is keeping a close eye on me” (B9)
“Here I have friends in whom I can trust, and learn who help me a lot” (B2)
“I feel like cutting again (...) When I think of the relief that a cut provides…”
(B9)
[About 'Ana'] "A friend, perhaps enemy. I do not know exactly (...) I cannot
live without her. "(B2)
10. Evidence suggests…
Internet can play an undesired negative role:
i) proliferation of these websites "I’m writing this blog to know more
people like me!" (B3)
i) encouraging to fast or food disruptive " I started researching on the
internet about diets and found a blog pro ana and mia (...) after that
I created the blog and entered this world "(B9)
ii) maintenance of a already existing disorder " I will delete the blog, is
making me ill "(B8)
iii) promoting alienation from offline social ties " this is my little world
(...) is all I have. "(B2)
i) consequently extending the community to new members
11. Reflect about…
opportunities vs. threats
http://murraycallanswimschools.com/blog/?p=183
12. Thank for your attention
Any question?
Teresa Castro, António Osório
Instituto de Educação, Universidade do Minho
This doctoral investigation is financed by POPH – QREN – Type 4.1 – Advanced
Training, European Social Fund and Portuguese national funding from the Ministry of
teresa.sofia.castro@gmail.com
Education and Science, through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under a
research grant with the reference SFRH/BD/68288/2010.
Notas del editor
evidence suggests that Internet can play an undesired negative role in: i) the proliferation of these websites - "I’m writing this blog to know more people like me!" (B3); ii) encouraging to fast or food disruptive behaviours - "(...) holiday means that I’ll have more time to search the internet and make my [diet] plans "(B9);" I started researching on the internet about diets and found a blog pro ana and mia (...) after that I created the blog and entered this world "(B9), iii) the maintenance of a already existing disorder -" I will delete the blog, is making me ill "(B8), iv) promoting alienation from offline social ties -" this is my little world (...) is all I have. "(B2); v) consequently extending the community to new members.
Consequently, it is important to note that parents and teachers have an important role throughout this stage of development in youth in order to contribute with a safer psychological and social environment that can help preventing risky behaviours (Reina, Oliva, & Parra, 2010). Despite that, it doesn’t mean that out of curiosity or the feeling of being in control (Garitaonandia & Garmendia, 2007), children won’t enrol in dangerous or unsafe behaviours on the Internet. The Internet is like a Pandora's box that once opened provides a universe of risks (but also of great opportunities). In this case, we consider that pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia blogs disseminate risky contents where children can find easily accessed manuals that encourage food restriction, tricks to fool parents and caregivers, scary "diets" and pharmacological prescriptions (Gradim, 2009) that may influence negatively and endanger children’s emotional and physical welfare in unpredictable ways.