Comparative study of Bullying Victimization among Students in General and Special Education

The purpose of this study on bullying was to establish an understanding of how students having special education integrate socially. This is after cases of victimization in schools had gradually increased. Students in special schools seemed to experience more relational and verbal victimization cases. There had also been reports of students experiencing psychological, physical harm and emotional distress. The study would also compare the occurrence of physical, relational and verbal bullying taking place in special and general education systems. Additionally, self-student reports of school staff and adult teachers bullying students were to be researched on to establish an understanding of the same. Some of the questions the researchers wanted to answer included the extent of harm caused by psychological distress related to bullying, establish the similarities of the patterns and culprits who take part in the relational, physical and verbal bullying and finally research whether the grade-level and gender effects are similar (Hartley et al., 2015). Additionally, the study will help provide an in-depth comparison and understanding of bullying experiences among students without disabilities and those with them 

The prediction or hypothesis of this study mainly involved understanding the comparison of bullying victimization among students in special and general education. The research will at the end of the day help address not only issues of academics but also integration between teachers and teachers. A perfect understanding of what students with disabilities with disabilities experience will be established. Additionally, students self-reports about bullying will be acquired and used to analyze this problem. The hypothesis of this research will also involve providing schools with data about the measures they should put in place to eradicate bullying. Researchers also expect to collect data from various schools and use it to determine the prevalence and patterns of victimization (Hartley et al., 2015). Moreover, the notion that students taking special level education are the main victims of bullying will be confirmed. At the end of the study, there will be very elaborate statistics that compare the rates of bullying between general schools and those offering special education. 

The methods used during this study involved conducting a survey in various schools. This would be made possible by designing partnerships between the researchers and the schools. Another valuable resource would be the students. With the approval of the school administration, data were collected from a national sample of students. They were all from Grade 5-12. Additionally, an online questionnaire was administered Many through the questionnaire admitted that victimization took place two or more times each month. Another method used to collect data about victimization was the survey. A researcher with much experience in bullying had drafted the survey (Hartley et al., 2015). The survey had been tested by adolescents who provided feedback through online focus groups. Moreover, the self-report technique was used and proved very effective. This was as a result of difficulties experience seeking external validation. Some of the concerns contained in the questionnaires included a description of the various event of bullying. However, the definition of bullying was not included so that each student can relate with what bullying is. 

The results of the study showed that students with disabilities were frequent victims of physical and emotional bullying. Compared to students in the general population, they experienced a higher rate of psychological distress. In the study, students with disabilities had higher levels of psychological distress. This had affected them to the point where they felt unsafe around their peers. It was realized that bullies tend to target students who are not likely to retaliate. The highest rates of rejection and unpopularity were seen to be experienced by students with disabilities. They were being considered as the most unpopular among peers. In respect to the various types of bullying, results showed the pattern of the reported relational and verbal type of bullying was the same on both groups receiving general and special education. It was also realized that students with special needs mostly reported incidences of being beaten or threatened by their peers. Additionally, the report confirmed that the school staff and teachers also play a part in the victimization of school students. In relation to the gender research question, the current research showed that girls experience bullying that is emotional while boys experience physical bullying (Hartley et al., 2015). It was also realized that those bullying other people likely target those of their gender. 

When critiquing this study, it had good and bad aspects. However, various aspects could also be included to yield better results. In relation to the good aspects of this study, it was now possible to support previous studies confirming how challenging it is for students with disabilities to integrate with the rest. This mostly being as a result of the rampant bullying cases being reported day by day. It is now clear that placing students with disabilities in the same classroom is not the solution to this problem. A clear definition of students’ integration within the school is emphasized and encouraged. Additionally, the present study showed how students are being victimized by adult teachers and staff. This is hence becoming an issue of concern by the school administration who should take a keen interest in what happens between the students and the teachers. Moreover, school policies that advocate against student-teacher bullying need to be developed. They should clearly state the consequences of such ill actions by the teachers. Another good aspect of this research is informing the institutions of education that thorough training of the teachers should be made a priority so that they can be able to work with students who receive special education. Educational campaigns too should be encouraged to help curb the increased bullying cases 

This study, however, had its own bad aspects. This is evident in the way sampling was carried out. The kind of sampling used may have introduced errors. Moreover, not all students had a chance to participate in this study. The statistics computed may not replicate the rest of the population. Also, it was clear that the information collected may not have included the students’ with disabilities variable. This is because all of them are different in terms of the degree of impairment. Lack of external validation to verify student’s self-reports may also have been a bad aspect in this study. It would also be difficult for researchers to determine or measure the degree of psychological distress experienced by various students. It would not be possible to identify whether the said victims of bullying were faking the whole thing or not. This would, therefore, be difficult to validate the statistics given concerning physical distress brought about by bullying. This also included the self-reports that would be difficult to gauge their accuracy. 

It would, therefore, be important to change some of the techniques used to collect data to improve the findings. For instance, the sampling technique used should include every student. In other words, the sample used to represent the rest of the population should be perfect. As a researcher, it would be wise to realize that learners are diverse. For example, when selecting a sample of students receiving special education, it would be appropriate to choose students with various disability-specific variables. This will ensure that everyone is represented. Moreover, it would be a good idea to assess the degree of impairment of each student participating in my sample. Additionally, self-reports in the study would require external validation to help improve the results. As much as it offers room for the respondents to remain anonymous and give their views privately, there is still a need to involve external validations. It would also be wise to involve the teachers and staff accused to be involved in bullying activities. It will be a way to get the whole story. Some of these accusations by the students may be untrue or simply as a result of hatred toward the teachers. 

In conclusion, the study carried out to compare the bullying in both schools offering general and special education would be termed as a success. This is despite the challenges experienced as well as the use of inaccurate sampling techniques. The researchers were able to establish that bullying has been the barrier to a healthy relationship between students with disabilities. Additionally, the study has made it crystal that it’s not just enough to put students with disabilities in one physical classroom. Much needs to be done to ensure that the varied and unique patterns of the physical, verbal and emotional bullying come to an end. The school administrations coordinating the special education amenities need to come up with policies that will help eradicate the increased bullying cases in their schools. Additionally, the teachers and staff being involved in victimization cases should be dealt with properly. The only sure way of eradicating bullying in schools is to encourage social integration systems and inclusion. Additionally, in order to implement this, school counselors and students will need to work closely with professionals in special education. This will help students especially those with disabilities develop socially and emotionally. However, if this is not put into consideration, more and more cases of victimization will continue to increase. 

Reference  

Hartley, M. T., Bauman, S., Nixon, C. L., & Davis, S. (2015). Comparative study of bullying victimization among students in general and special education. Exceptional Children