Plastic surgery to prevent bullying?
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by Aimee Keenan-Greene
A bullied 7-year old South Dakota girl who underwent surgery to fix her ears is making headlines.
Samantha Roselle's mother told Good Morning America the recent operation was a preventative measure to stop the bullying.
Otoplasty is any plastic surgery that reconstructs deformities or correcting defects of the pinna, or outer ear, according to Medical News Today.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 160,283 children had cosmetic interventions in 2008.
Cleft palates, birthmark removal, surgery to widen the appearance of the eyes in people of Asian descent, 'nose jobs' or breast implants are some of the common procedures, Donn Chatham, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery told USA Today.
Samantha suffered from cup ears, and her right ear was also folded over. It was reshaped, and both were pinned back.
According to the US department of Health and Human Services, people who are bullied have a higher risk of depression and anxiety. In one study, adults who recalled being bullied in their youth were 3 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or inclinations.
Samantha's mother feared the long-term affects of her daughter being teased about her ears. She says Samantha became shy because of the taunting from not only classmates, but adults who had made inconsiderate remarks.
Stop Bullying Now! Rhode Island is a non-profit organization focused on preventing bullying in our society through education and awareness.
Rhode Island schools could soon have a new statewide policy to address cyberbullying.
The new legislation tackles what educators call the growing problem of email, text messages and social networking sites being used to bully.
The proposal was just reviewed by General Assembly.
If passed, the policy would provide teachers and administrators a a specific procedure to respond to bullying reports, notify parents and discipline students.
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