Bullying in Students with and Without Special Educational Needs

Abstract

In the present study a concise presentation of the phenomenon of school bullying in students with and without special educational needs is attempted. Initially, a distinction is made between the terms “violence” and “school bullying”, the second term being a sub-category of the broader concept of violence. Then, some of the most important definitions which have been attributed to ‘‘school bullying’’ are presented. It is noted that there is no universally accepted definition, as the definition of such a complex and multidimensional phenomenon is not an easy task. Then, the main forms of school bullying are described as well as its principal causes are presented. Finally, international and national research data – principally from Greece - on the frequency of school bullying based on the type of disability/special educational needs is presented while suggestions are made for its confrontation.