Bullying Interventions That Support Exceptional Education Students

Andreou, E., Didaskalou, E., & Vlachou, A. (2008). Outcomes of a curriculum-based anti-bullying intervention program on students' attitudes and behavior. Emotional & Behavioral Difficulties, 13(4), 23.5.

The purpose of this study is to identify the most prevalent forms of bullying on a high school campus and identify which strategies are most effective to prevent or respond to bullying. The study will also identify the most effective strategies to improve student achievement and attendance for those students who have experienced bullying. Students must feel safe to learn. Students who are bullied have a propensity to avoid the bullies; therefore, they choose not to attend school. Poor attendance often will result in poor grades and even dropping out of school.

These skills and behaviors can be introduced to students in lessons and classroom discussions. Some of the intensive interventions consist of support to both victims and bullies through group therapy and individual counseling. Obtaining parent support for these children is a important component of intervention initiatives. The goals of these programs are to empower adults and children to take the appropriate steps to stop bulling when and where it occurs and to teach children positive behaviors and interpersonal skills. “Effective prevention efforts mobilize a school’s most vital resource- the students- to be a school’s most powerful force in fostering a caring culture in which all students can grow and learn”( Feinberg,2003).

Over the past couple of decades, schools all across the nation have noticed a significant rise in the amount of bullying taking place among their students. “Two decades ago, bullying was often seen as a rare occurrence, where small groups of parents sought protection for their children with the school district”, stated by Vikki Healy Ortiz, writer of the article “New inclusive approach helps schools fight bullying”. However, the same cannot be said for our society in today’s world. Our modern world has advanced tremendously over the past few decades and there are even more opportunities for children to be susceptible to feeling isolated from others because they are simply unique. In today’s society, children have the potential to bully each other outside of the classroom as well.

Researchers have published a limited number of studies on the prevalence of bullying within the special needs community. Researchers wrestle with protecting the validity of information due to an individual's eligibility ruling of mild, moderate or severe mental retardation. Most studies have used data obtained in an inclusive classroom setting with general education students and special needs students combined. Disabled students that participate in a self-contained classroom environment contributed data by student survey or teacher observation survey. Investigators also seek to include data from parental reports on bullying. The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 served as a data collection instrument for this study. In the end, the authors reached the following conclusion. The prevalence rate of bullying and victimization of elementary school students with disabilities is 24.5%. The authors predict the incidence rate of bullying will grow higher in middle school and

McNamara recommends the use of differentiated instruction to reach every student. The teacher should have a variety of literature on bullying in the classroom and vary the method of lesson presentation. Teachers can incorporate mnemonics, role playing, videos, and storytelling activities to reaffirm the learning experience. Teachers can also allow the students to take an active role in teaching the lesson. Furthermore, the author advises instructors of students with disabilities to simplify their lessons on bullying. Special needs students need short, clear instructions on how to handle a bullying situation. Once the students are comfortable using a particular strategy, then the teacher can add an alternative approach. The author believes the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the Council for Exceptional Children are excellent resources for supplemental literature and support on issues that pertain to the learning

If bullying was truly a problem for the student’s environment, then there should be a strong negative correlation between the amount of bullying reported in section one, and the psychological behavior responses indicated in section two. Therefore, as bullying witnessed or experienced increases, the mental stability of the student decreases. It is then expected that if bullying is causing psychological damage to students, then a strong negative correlation between bullying and academic performance should also appear. As the number of bullying instances increase, the student’s ability to focus and perform well in school decreases. By not being able to function properly within the school setting and being unable to perform well academically, it can be inferred that individuals who are struggling the most with bullying will find it harder to study, which would make it more difficult for them to perform well on their final

Bullying in the United States has become epidemic, but some schools are resistant to instill anti-bullying programs, because they fear the program will be ineffective. The article, Creating An Anti-Bullying Culture In Secondary Schools: Characterists to Consider When Constructing Appropriate Anti-Bullying Programs, researchers Joseph R. Jones, and Sharon Murphy Augustine address the issue of bullying head on. Research indicates that students who are from a low socioeconomic background, students who are racially diverse, students who have a learning disability, and student’s sexual orientation has the largest effect on bullying rates in the United States (Jones &Augustine, pp. 74-76). In a recent survey, twenty five percent of students reported that they are bullied on a daily basis and that cyber bullying is at an all time high (Jones &Augustine, p. 74). Due to the increased rates of bullying, there is an increase on teen suicide and school shootings. (Jones

To prevent future reports of bullying among school children high-level intervention programs are needed to help change the atmosphere in schools and to provide the appropriate training for school administrators and teachers. High intervention program can reduce bullying when there is active participation from school administrators, teachers and parents who can identify and prevent situations that can lead to bullying. Having a strong anti-bullying prevention programs in the school systems allow the school’s administration to set the tone that bullying will not be tolerated and to build relationships with the students to let them know that their safety is the number one concern. For bullying prevention programs to be successful the intervention

This article explores the prevalence rates of bullying victimization among special needs students in the United States. Investigators of this study report an advanced rate of bullying and victimization among students with disabilities when compared with mainstream peers. However, special needs students are prey for bullies because of characteristics related to their disabilities. Typically, many special needs students may be unaware of bullying victimization because of poor social and communication skills that comprise of misread facial expressions, body language, and tone. Furthermore, disabilities

Despite the numerous efforts to make those with disabilities feel accustomed into the real world, the majority of society still views them as nothing bunch of outcasts and minorities.

The article entitled National prevalene rates of bully victimization among students with disabilities redefines the seriousness of bullying children within the special needs spectrum. Special needs students are sometimes overlooked and ignored population of learning institutions.

Thesis statement: Due to the fact that problem of bullying negatively affects students' learning ability, their health and the entire school climate society should take definite and urgent measures to solve it.

School bullying and bullying as a whole has become a growing concern. The need for more intervention is more recognized, as incidents of bullying and inappropriate acts towards others occur in places outside of the classroom. This literature takes a closer look at bullying in schools. Olwesus (2013) states “the field of bullying research is to some extent plagued by problems, disagreements, and unresolved issues” (p.752). Whether if anyone will agree on the root of bullying, the fact remains that bullying has to be examined at its very core to remedy the matter before it becomes a bigger concern. There is a dire need for intervention based programs to be set in place to address the fact the act of bullying has lasting effects on the bully and the victim. When intervention programs are put into place to address bullying, the act of bullying decreases due to the gained understanding of the effects.

Thesis: Bullying in its many forms affects all people no matter age, gender, and class, but the effects can be very dangerous and very hurtful.