Bullying of Learners with Disabilities

Bullying of Learners with Disabilities

Literature Review

Historically, scholars and policymakers have challenged the establishment and promotion of separate classrooms and schools for disabled learners. Within the past two decades, a transformative model has emerged in different societies to allow for inclusive learning environments for all children, including with disabilities. Øksendal et al. (2019) observed that most of studies completed between 1989 and 2003 revealed that bullying was higher among learners with various disabilities. In the same analysis, Øksendal et al. (2019) identified these major forms of abuse: teasing, verbal insults, threats, taking personal items, name-calling, and making fun. These issues tend to create tense environments for the affected individuals, thereby compelling them to have reduced number of friends while struggling with the challenge of staying alone. The nature of these challenges explained why there was a strong need for presenting proper guidelines and interventions.

In another report, Berchiatti et al. (2021) observed that bullying was a major challenge that affected the overall outcomes and experiences of children with learning disabilities and special educational needs (SEN). Specifically, the study revealed that 90 percent of the individuals included in the investigation reported different forms of bullying (Berchiatti et al., 2021). Consequently, these victims encountered numerous challenges in the learning environment, including reduced participation in social activities and disinterestedness. The ultimate result was that their academic scores and grades where poorer in comparison with their normal classmates. The absence of proper mechanisms to reshape child behavior was also seen as a major predictor for negative outcomes in learning environments with disabled individuals.

In another investigation, Falla et al. (2021) observed that a number of factors in different schools created numerous opportunities for increasing cases of bullying. For instance, the fact that some children had sensory, emotional, intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities was the first determinant of the possible nature of bullying. Additionally, learners in intolerant educational environments were 2 times more likely to be being bullied than their counterparts in desirable classrooms (Falla et al., 2021). In the same study, Falla et al. (2021) reported that some of the children with different types of disabilities were observed to bully their classmates. These issues show conclusively that disabilities are directly linked to bullying in a wide range of learning environments.

Disabilities are usually diverse and tend to affect school-going children differently. In a study by Øksendal et al. (2019), the primary focus was on the needs of individuals with food allergies and special health demands. For instance, the investigation observed that the existence of medical conditions made more learners incapable of expressing themselves fully or engaging in activities capable of meeting their needs. Consequently, non-disabled children had a tendency of making fun or failing to integrate them in their social groups. The affected individuals, therefore, suffered the problem of loneliness (Falla et al., 2021). Additionally, some of the learners with various allergies witnessed incidents whereby their counterparts exposed various allergens to them (Falla et al., 2021). This portrayal reveals that bullying in students with disabilities was a major problem that could affect their overall educational and life outcomes.

The problem disability in learning institutions has compelled researchers to focus on different forms of personal challenges and how they dictate the overall level of bullying. For example, Lekhal and Karlsen (2021) observed that bullying was more common among students with a wide range of learning disabilities and special difficulties. Additionally, the study revealed that those who had vision and hearing challenges had reduced chances of being abused or insulted in comparison with those who had physical disabilities (Lekhal & Karlsen, 2021). This report was instrumental because it shed more light on the personal factors among the disabled fraternity and how the dictated their possibilities of encountering different forms of bullying and abuse (Lekhal & Karlsen, 2021). The emerging insights could help future researchers and policymakers to consider appropriate strategies to help most of the affected individuals.

In the 2021 annual report by UNESCO, it occurred that disabled children aged between 13 and 15 years had increased chances of encountering different forms of abuse in their environments (UNESCO News, 2021). These problems affected tem both in school and their neighborhoods. The most likely reason for such a trend was because they were transitioning from childhood to their adolescence. The physical and emotional ch