Characteristics of Bullies and Victims among Students with Emotional Disturbance Attending Approved Private Special Education Schools

Abstract

The goal of this study was to describe rates and types of bullying and victimization among 407 students with emotional disturbance (ED) in grades 6 through 10 attending private approved special education schools in New Jersey. These students anonymously completed the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire. Results indicated that compared with a general U.S. population of typical students, fewer students in this sample with ED engaged in bullying behavior and did so at lower intensity, and boys and girls with ED engaged in similar levels of bullying behavior. In contrast to a general U.S. population, more female students with ED in this subpopulation sample were victims compared with boys and, for both sexes, the types of victimization tended to be direct verbal or indirect. Students with ED in this sample responded to bullying by reporting to authority figures. Limitations and recommendations for future research are addressed.