Abstract
Rates of school bullying victimisation have been noted as high as 69% for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) yet there remains neither an anti‐bullying programme specifically for use in special schools, nor a standardised definition of bullying. The most frequently used definition is not inclusive of SEND pupils' experiences, leading to difficulties for school staff to identify and resolve bullying situations. Pupils can be left without the support they require to maintain good mental health. After consultations with 14 special schoolteachers and parents of children with SEND, this paper suggests two inclusive definitions: a revised bullying definition to expand understanding of power imbalance and victimisation awareness, and the new counter‐connecting definition which highlights that bullying behaviour is not always intentional or only within the peer level. Schools should use both definitions to accurately identify and manage negative interactions at school to better support all pupils.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Support for Learning |
| Early online date | 29 Apr 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 29 Apr 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2025 The Author(s). Support for Learning published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of National Association for Special Educational Needs.
Funding
Funded by the Department of Education, University of Oxford: Small Grants Committee.
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Keywords
- SEND
- bullying
- counter-connecting
- school
- victim
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
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