Abstract:
This research is the study on school bullying experiences among secondary school obese students. The study aims to explain meanings related to obese students from views of obese students, normal students, and school teachers; patterns of bullying and being bullied among male and female obese students; consequences on obese students and coping methods being used by obese students. This study is qualitative research, in which the study site is one of Bangkok Municipal government high schools. The school is located at Bangkok metropolis. The research methods are in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and participant observation. Target groups are 29 obese male students, 15 obese female students, and 4 school teachers. Content analysis is used as data analysis. Anthropological theoretical concept on stigma, and linguistic analysis is used in this study. It is found that positive meanings related to obese students among all students are big body representation as being warm during hugging, cuteness, friendliness, funny and playful person, having academic capacity for school performance as well as both good brain and body function, and volunteerism .Negative meanings related to obese students among all students are being risky to various health problems, body image as being too big and improper body size compared to normal persons, being uncomfortable, being disgusted, being awful, being rowdy, being naughty, being aggressive, slow movement, being inactive, being listless, being lazy. Positive meanings from school teachers are being a cute person, being a person who is good to hug, being able to develop him/herself, being strong, having a good heart. Negative meanings from school teachers are being unhealthy, slow movement, do not dress properly, being unclean. Pattern of school bullying is verbal bullying which is verbal labeling, creating nicknames, teasing; physical bullying, sexual bullying and social bullying. Forms of bullying other students by obese students are physical, verbal and psychological bullying. Impacts of school bullying among obese students are enjoying themselves, being sad, crying, being angry, being stressful, being annoyed, being irritable, being absent from school attendance, attempted suicide, conducting suicide, injury and being fearful. Obese students manage their bullying problem in many ways including verbal and physical responses, ignoring bullied acts, expressing emotions in online space, informing teachers, redefining their own self. It is recommended that we should raise awareness in the problem related to school bullying among obese students by targeting all students and teachers, empowering obese student for self-esteem, skill building for school bullying management, building harmony, sympathy and consideration among students, not exploiting each other by emphasizing inferiority complexes.