Teasing and bullying in children and young people with cleft lip and/or palate: A framework for formulation
This paper links theoretical frameworks to a lifespan formulation, and provides a guide to enhancing clinical intervention where problems with teasing and bullying occur.
01 February 2010
Orofacial clefts are the most common congenital condition, affecting around one in 650 babies. Others' reactions to a cleft, as well as problems with appearance, hearing and speech, can make a child more vulnerable to teasing or bullying at various life stages. The purpose of this paper is to link a range of theoretical frameworks to a lifespan formulation, and to provide a guide to enhancing clinical intervention where problems with teasing and bullying occur. The main premise is that different frameworks come into focus at different stages in the life of the individual. Because of the nature of the condition, wider social and societal factors overlay the psychological impact, alongside the treatment pathway. These different elements are represented in a series of diagrams in the paper. The text provides a framework based on life stages. Each life stage considers the key events, alongside the psychosocial issues which need to be considered at that stage.