Skip to main content

Research on giftedness and bullying

The debate regarding bullying and giftedness is still ongoing till this day. Some say that being gifted is an advantage in all aspects of life, meaning that social relationships also get better because of it. Others say that giftedness has caveats, the main one is difficulty relating to others, making the person more vulnerable to bullying. 

A relevant factor in this discussion is the fact that professionals working with this group are more prone to see kids who have difficulties of some kind. That means they can have a bias and can think all gifted kids have the problems their patients have. 

Knowing this is an important debate in this field, I found it appropriate to bring you research about it. Specifically, I am going to comment on a systematic review. I am not going to explain it all, if you want to learn more, I will leave the citation for you to check. 

The review identifies three possibilities regarding the relation between giftedness and bullying. (1) Gifted students have a higher risk of being victimized and a lower probability of being a bully due to their individual characteristics. (2) Academically gifted students are not especially vulnerable to bullying and have a lower participation in bullying. (3) Gifted students have the same probability as other students of being both a victim and a bully. For all these perspectives, studies comparing gifted students with non-gifted students were analysed. The results show evidence supporting all three perspectives, being the last one the one with more support.

Another type of research analysed only considered gifted students, without comparing them with other groups. The results suggest a high prevalence of bullying with very negative consequences for this group. This would support the first perspective I exposed before. 

There is a lack of studies on this topic and there is a disparity of results. This may be for different reasons. There is no unanimity regarding the definition of the term gifted. Different studies were conducted in different countries with different cultures and educational systems. The age of the sample and the measurement instruments. And to that I would add that not all gifted students are identified, that means some gifted students could be in the wrong group. More research is needed to have a better picture of the phenomena.  

But the lack of clear evidence does not have to prevent us from doing actions. Preventive measures for this group can be taken, for example designating a peer mentor or grouping gifted students through the day to prevent a feeling of isolation.   

Differences in socioemotional skills could be why some gifted kids are more exposed to bullying than others. The qualitative aspect of the bullying these students generally receive is also relevant, it includes insults referring to their intelligence, teasing about their appearance or academic qualifications. It shows a need to create a positive environment in schools that accepts individual differences. 

I hope it was of your interest. If you want to learn more, I leave the citation and the link here: 

Martínez-Monteagudo, Á., Martínez-Monteagudo, M. C., & Delgado, B. (2023). School bullying and cyberbullying in academically gifted students: A systematic review. Aggression and violent behavior, 71, 101842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2023.101842

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178923000290


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Definition of Bullying

 Hi everyone! The World Anti-Bullying Forum, together with UNESCO, created a Working group for establishing a new definition of school bullying. Its new definition keeps the idea that bullying requires unwanted repetitive aggressiveness and imbalance of power, and adds the idea that this power imbalance is supported by societal and institutional norms. The emphasis is now in the idea that bullying is not an affair among students but a social process. The new definition is this one: School bullying is a damaging social process that is characterized by an imbalance of power driven by social (societal) and institutional norms. It is often repeated and manifests as unwanted interpersonal behaviour among students or school personnel that causes physical, social, and emotional harm to the targeted individuals or groups, and the wider school community. You can find the document where it is explained  here . Fes
Post a Comment
Read more

Salutogenic approach and a personal opinion

  As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, on the website called PDA Bullying , among various resources, there is a section dedicated to explain the Salutogenic approach . After doing some research, it becomes clear that this approach gets its name because its main goal is to promote health and well-being . The platform aims to address bullying from this perspective, adopting a strength-based approach that focuses on individuals' potential and the creation of a cooperative community working toward a shared goal . It slightly reminds me of the No Blame Approach we studied in class, as it also refers to a method based on compassion and a solution-focused outlook , rather than assigning blame. Their aim is not simply to act against bullying, but rather to overcome it , moving beyond a simplistic understanding of bullying as just a dynamic between two individuals. Instead, they view it as a broader social process . For this reason, the protocol designed and implemented by...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Simpsons: Bull-E

  Bull-E - The Simpsons (Season 26, Episode 21) The Simpsons has reflected bullying as a complex issue through their episodes, whether through Bart’s pranks, Nelson’s struggles, or Springfield’s collective response, the show highlights the importance of addressing bullying thoughtfully and empathetically.  Many schools and communities have anti-bullying policies, but the debates arise about how to enforce them without oppressing free expression or over-penalizing minor infractions. The episode of The Simpsons reflects these concerns by showing the challenges of finding a balance. It highlights how good intentions, like preventing bullying (passing an Anti-Bullying law), can sometimes go way too far, leading to unintended consequences. Also, it brings up the difficulty of bullying’s definition, what feels like bullying to one person might seem harmless to another, that is Homer’s storyline, which reminds us that our words and actions, even if unintended, can impact on others d...
Post a Comment
Read more