GIFTED CHILDREN AND
BULLYING
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)
DEFINITION OF BULLYING
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

CONTRADICTORY LITERATURE
CONTRADICTORY LITERATURE
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.

MAIN CONCERN

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.
BULLYING AND GIFTED CHILDREN
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.

WHY CHILDREN DON’T TELL
 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
ADULTS AS BULLIES
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

HOW GIFTED CHILDREN HANDLE
BULLYING AND TEASING (OR NOT)
HOW GIFTED CHILDREN HANDLE
BULLYING (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
WHAT CAN WE DO?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
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.

WHAT CAN WE 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.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
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.

REFERENCES





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), 3940.
Peters, M., & Bain, S. K. (2011). Bullying and
victimization rates among gifted and highachieving students. Journal For The Education
Of The Gifted, 34(4), 624-643.
Peterson, J., & Ray, K. E. (2006). Bullying among the
gifted: The subjective experience.
Gifted Child
Quarterly, 50(3), 252-269.
REFERENCES




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
www.stopbullying.gov.