He Called Me a Geeky Nerd! Bullying & Gifted Students

CTD: Does bullying change over time or vary by the age of the child?

Jean Peterson: Our study, like some others, found that percent of victims (46%) and of repeated bullying (25% of all victims) peaked in grade six, after steady increases from 29% in kindergarten, However, percent of female victims stayed essentially stable between grades five and eight.

Most interviewees referred to bullying as being in the past, although some were still experiencing it in grade eight. Teasing about appearance was especially an issue in grades five through eight, with weight targeted more than height; teasing about grades and intelligence had its highest percentages in grades six through eight; teasing with expletives and sexual references appeared in grades seven and eight. “Not being known” was a major theme—when victims were new, lunch schedules changed, or new school levels began. Studies usually find that boys are bullied more than girls are; however, new attention to female bullying may reveal that the genders are not so different in prevalence.

CTD: Are gifted children more or less likely to be bullied?  Are they more or less likely to be bullies?

Peterson: Because studies vary greatly in definition and survey questions, it is difficult to say anything confidently here. Our percentages were sometimes higher and sometimes lower than those in other studies. We can conclude, however, that gifted kids can indeed be victims and bullies, and that many gifted kids (67%, in our study) experience bullying at some time during the first nine years of school. Interviewed victims frequently used “desperate” words when describing their feelings during long periods of victimization. Several commented about having violent thoughts about the perpetrators, but most simply tried to understand the cruelty and some focused on “not making mistakes.”  A common theme was that they did not tell anyone about being bullied.  In our study, a suburban community had the highest prevalence. In inner-city schools, interviewees commented that perhaps gifted kids were “not as tough.” In general, however, the percentage who experienced physical bullying was relatively low. Noteworthy was that one in five gifted males were bullies in grade eight.

CTD: How do children cope with being bullied? Are there long-term effects and, if so, what are they?

Peterson: Victims reported being supported by non-school peers, hanging out with the other gender or with underclassmen, developing effective verbal responses, tape-recording harassment and giving the principal the evidence, fighting back, laughing in response to teasing, or simply “getting used to it.” Skills learned in peer mediation programs benefited some. However, for many, strategies were ineffective, including telling teachers. Sometimes their sensitivity constrained them from retaliating. Parent support helped.

Generally, depression is more likely to occur in response to indirect than to direct bullying, but more often in response to direct bullying for girls. Victims feel more in control when bullying is short term, rather than long term. Emails I have received since our study was published have indicated that adults remember painful bullying experiences clearly even late in life. Bullying has been connected with school shootings, of course. It needs to be taken seriously.

CTD: What should educators or parents do to prevent bullying or to assist children who are being bullied?

Peterson: Studies have clearly indicated that school environment should be the focus. Both proactive and reactive curriculum, organized and delivered by school counselors, including small-group and whole-classroom work, can help kids make meaningful connections and be activists against bullying. All school personnel, including kids, must be “on the same page” about problem and definition, much like when schools and workplaces raised awareness of sexual harassment. Bullying often happens under the radar. Increased supervision of hallways, restrooms, lunchrooms, and bus lines can help. Female bullying, less visible, should be acknowledged and discussed. Blaming victims needs to stop.

Concerned parents should approach administrators seriously and persistently. Parents can create a sea change, and so can well implemented school counseling programs. I encourage parents and educators to use our studies to make their argument, especially regarding how bullying is experienced.

CTD: Thank you.

Dr. Jean Peterson, coordinator of school counseling at Purdue University, was a classroom or gifted-education teacher prior to her career in counselor education.  She has contributed over 60 publications to the school counseling and gifted education literature, many of them focusing on the social and emotional development of gifted adolescents. She is currently chair of the Counseling and Guidance Division of NAGC.  Her two Talk with Teens books are used in schools and counseling centers as an affective curriculum. 

* The research mentioned in this article was published in Gifted Child Quarterly, 2006, Volume 50, No. 2, pages 148 – 168.

BULLYING RESOURCES

Caporale, J. D. (2005). They call me chicken: A story of courage. Xlibris Corporation

Romain, T. & Verdick, E. (1997).  Bullies are a pain in the brain. Minneapolis: Free Spirit

Blanco, J. (2003). Please stop laughing at me . . .: One woman’s inspirational story. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation

Simmons, R. (2002). Odd girl out: The hidden culture of aggression in girls. Orlando: Harcourt (Harvest)