Inpact 2012 presentation

International Psychological Applications

Conference and Trends

2012 Lisbon, Portugal | 24-26 May

Fonte: http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/deborah/2007/06/lisboa_dreamin.html

Online violence: not beautiful enough… not thin enough;

anorectic testimonials in the web

Teresa Castro, António OsórioInstitute of Education, University of Minho

This work is funded by POPH – QREN – Type 4.1 – Advanced Training, by European Social Fund and national funds of MCTES through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, under Research Grant with ReferenceSFRH/BD/68288/2010.

Framework of the exploratory study

Methodology

Results and initial conclusions

1

2

3

International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends Lisbon | 26 May 2012

Online violence: not beautiful enough… not thin enough; anorectic testimonials in the web

http://www.agenciars.com.br/blog/criancas-brasileiras-sao-as-que-entram-mais-cedo-nas-redes-sociais/



PhD research online violence involving children

Receptient [content]

Participant [contact]

Actor [conduct]

the use of digital devices and/or Internet to actively engage in physical, verbal, psychological or emotional aggression, that being repeated can lead to serious physical or psychological self-harm or deliberately and intentionally cause harm to another human being

http://www.agenciars.com.br/blog/criancas-brasileiras-sao-as-que-entram-mais-cedo-nas-redes-sociais/



i) Public availabilty ii) Production and disseminationiii) Corncern for parents

Aim: pro-anorexia portuguese written blogs

Potentially harmful and risky content



Fonte: http://www.1000wordsinside.com

Anorexia and Bulimia- Disease- Obsessive concern with weight and

image- Loss of weigh by withdrawal of food- Psychiatric problems (depression,

anxiety, mutilation, suicidal behaviour, drug use)

‘Ana’ and ‘Mia’- Social movement - Lifestyle grounded on anorexic

behaviours- Extreme diets- Psychiatric problems (depression,

anxiety, mutilation, suicidal behaviour, drug use)



two thirds of adolescent girls search online for health information

Numbers…

Nearly half are about losing weight

13% engage in binge eating and purging behaviours

(Wilson, Peebles, Hardy, & Litt, 2006)

>From solitary to solidary movement

social phenomenon that is unique to the Internet age (...) having no offline equivalent (Giles, 2006) that allows socially isolated or stigmatized individuals to share experiences in relative anonymity, in an apparent safe haven (Giles, 2006), creating a sense of community

- Neutral space (Brotsky & Giles, 2007);

- Non-judgemental space (Dias, 2003; Brotsky & Giles, 2007; Williams, 2009;

Gavin et al., 2008; Williams & Reid, 2007));

- Express their feelings (Wold et al., 2009);

- Alleviates the loneliness (Csipke & Horne, 2007)

- A “sanctuary” (Dias, 2003)

- support and understanding (Gavin et al., 2008; Williams & Reid, 2007)




• Reinforces the person’s identity of being eating disordered (Gavin et al., 2008; Rich, 2006; Tierney, 2006)

• Makes it difficult to leave the community behind and recover (Csipke & Horne, 2007)

• Reinforces and normalises the pro-anorexic identity (Gavin et al., 2008)

• Helps keeping their behaviours a secret from ‘others’ in the offline environment for fear that they would intervene and attempt to ‘fix’ their disorder (Gavin et al., 2008; Williams & Reid, 2007)

• Promotes anorexia as a lifestyle and encourage aggressive self-inflicted practices and are an example of inappropriate content disseminated over the Internet (Bell, 2007)






Methodology…



Methodology…

Sample

11 Weblogs (B1 to B11)♀ 9 / ♂ 2

Portugal 6 / Brazil 7y 13...19

1st stage

ExploratoryPublic data

Passive observation

2st stage

In depthBlogs authors

Interview



Content…

Highly shocking, intimate and emotional

“I’m a loser. Can’t stand this... I want to disappear... Nobody understands my pain... ” (B9)

“I know I’m killing myself, but being fat is far worse than being dead” (B3)

“I look at my body and I only see fat... And more fat... I feel disgusted with myself.” (B9)


Content…



self-mutilation, punishment or suicide attempt

“I want to cut myself (...) it provides me a sense of relief...” (B9)

“I hurt myself when I’m depressed” (B8)

“(...) cutting brings me peace” (B5)

Content…



Peter Pan syndrome


Content…



Support from followers

“Passed by to leave you my support”

“I’m following you”

“Reading your post made me sad...”

“Please, don’t cut yourself...”


Messages…



This public available blogs may represent a real dangerous for children because

easily provide potentially harmful content (such as tips and tricks to deceive family and friends

incite the use of dangerous diets and drugs

promote anorexia as a normal behaviour, a sense in life wich is worth dying for;

promote thin as a guarantee to be happy and loved




1st conclusions…

Fonte: http://fashioningcircuits.com/?p=226

International Psychological Applications

Conference and Trends

2012 Lisbon, Portugal | 24-26 May

Fonte: http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/deborah/2007/06/lisboa_dreamin.html

THANK YOU!

Teresa Castro, António OsórioInstitute of Education, University of Minho

This work is funded by POPH – QREN – Type 4.1 – Advanced Training, by European Social Fund and national funds of MCTES through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, under Research Grant with ReferenceSFRH/BD/68288/2010.

Inpact 2012 presentation

Health & Medicine

anorectic testimonials

mayonline violence

trends lisbon

psychological selfharm

webphd researchonline

williams reid

disordered gavin

disorder gavin