Elementary School Staff Perspectives on Bullying Involvement among Students with Disabilities

Abstract

Research indicates that students with disabilities (SWD) are more likely to be involved in bullying; therefore, the development of effective bullying prevention strategies need to consider the experiences of this population. Educators need the knowledge and skills to identify and intervene appropriately in bullying incidents involving SWD. Focus groups included 17 elementary school general and special education teachers, and counselors on their perceptions of bullying and the current bullying intervention landscape at their school. Results indicated teachers and counselors possess general knowledge regarding bullying and utilize a variety of intervention strategies at the classroom- and school-wide level with district support. However, participants did not express unique strategies for identifying or responding to bullying specifically for SWD. Thus, there is a need for teachers to receive additional bully prevention professional development that explicitly considers students most at risk such as SWD.