Pestgedrag bij leerlingen met leermoeilijkheden in het basisonderwijs

Abstract

This study examined prevalence of bullying and victimization among Dutch elementary school children (fourth to sixth grade, mean age 10.45 years) between children with and without learning disabilities and the views children have about bullying and learning disabilities. Self-reports from 147 children were obtained. Subsequently, twenty-two children with learning difficulties were interviewed about their views on bullying and victimization and the ways their schools and teachers handle these issues. Results showed that the prevalence of bullying and victimization in children with learning difficulties were not significantly higher than for children without learning difficulties. Based on the results, it was concluded that a substantial part of the children do see learning difficulties as a risk of being involved in bullying. The most common approaches in countering bullying mentioned were punishment and conversations. Children considered punishing bully’s as the most effective intervention against bullying. A noteworthy implication is that according to the viewpoint of children, there is a need for a differentiated intervention for children with learning disabilities.