G IFTED C HILDREN AND B ULLYING By: Susan Kinard Threet

“When gifted kids are bullied based on their school performance, it turns strengths into weakness and is a potential source of shame and feelings of inadequacy” (Hargrove, 2010)

D EFINITION OF B ULLYING According to the US Department of Health and Human Services: Bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time”. Three types of bullying: Verbal bullying Social bullying Physical bullying

C ONTRADICTORY L ITERATURE

The literature that focuses on bullying states two different things. Some researchers found that bullying happens more with gifted children. Others found that there is no significant difference between gifted children being bullied and normal children being bullied.

M AIN C ONCERN The main concern is not whether or not gifted kids get bullied more, but it is how they handle being bullied as compared to normal kids.

B ULLYING AND G IFTED C HILDREN Being intellectually advanced does NOT make a child emotionally advanced. Many assume gifted children are adults because of their intelligence. Gifted children are still CHILDREN.

W HY C HILDREN D ON ’ T T ELL Many children do not know what bullying encompasses. Underreported due to lack of understanding Children are scared of more bullying after telling a teacher, parent, or counselor

A DULTS AS B ULLIES Many times teachers, parents, and other trusted adults are the bullies. Children have nobody to tell. Adults make the child feel different and/or inadequate. Examples: A physical education teacher’s criticisms of a gifted student’s lack of interest or passion for athletics; A classroom teacher’s discouragement of questions by gifted students or their desire to pursue their academic passions

H OW G IFTED C HILDREN H ANDLE B ULLYING AND T EASING (OR NOT)

H OW G IFTED C HILDREN H ANDLE B ULLYING (OR NOT) Blame themselves Take everything personally Intense and prolonged reactions Self doubt Become highly distressed by nonphysical bullying Internalizing Suicide becomes a problem in regards to gifted children being bullied

W HAT C AN W E D O ?

1. Build a wall to keep the bad out 2. Have the child pretend that he or she is a superhero. Superheroes never let things bother them. 3. Have them understand that NOBODY has the ability to make anyone/everyone like them. 4. Help them to open up to others and show that they are not as different as they might appear. 5. Have them laugh at bullies or laugh with the bully so that the bully has not won.

W HAT C AN W E DO ? 6. Tape record the bully taunting and allow a teacher or adult to listen. (This may be used when bullying happens when adults are not around) 7. Help the student realize that it is okay to ask for help from teachers, parents, and counselors. 8. Help the child understand that NONE of the bullying is his/her fault. 9. Help them utilize self talk to help calm themselves down. 10. Help the child come up with ways to distract him or herself from the bullying.

W HAT C AN W E D O ? 11. Journaling 12. Art Therapy 13. Play Therapy- Have the child reconstruct the incident using dolls or other toys (younger children). 14. Help the child utilize other sources of finding friends outside of school. (Clubs, museums, etc) 15. LET THE CHILD KNOW THAT YOU ARE TO BE TRUSTED AND NOT FEARED.

R EFERENCES Cross, T. L. (2001). The many faces of bullies. Gifted Child Today, 24 (4), 36. Delisle, J. & Galbraith, J. (1987). The gifted kids survival guide II. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Company. Hargrove, K. (2010). Stop school bullying: A tale of two girls. Gifted Child Today, 33 (4), Peters, M., & Bain, S. K. (2011). Bullying and victimization rates among gifted and high- achieving students. Journal For The Education Of The Gifted, 34 (4), Peterson, J., & Ray, K. E. (2006). Bullying among the gifted: The subjective experience. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50 (3),

R EFERENCES Pheiffer, S. & Blei. S. (2008). Evidence based interventions for students with learning and behavioral challenges. Morris, R. J. & Mather, N. (Eds.). New York, NY: Routledge. Schmitz, C. & Galbraith, J. (1985). Managing the social and emotional needs of the gifted. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Company. Silverman, L. K. (2002) The social and emotional development of gifted children. What do we know? Neihart, M., Reis, S. M., Robinson, N. M., & Moon, S. M. (Eds.). Waco,TX: Prufrock Press Inc. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011). Bullying definition. Retrieved from