The Reality of School Bullying from the Perspective of General and Special Education Teachers in Inclusive Public Schools

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the perspectives of general education teachers and special education teachers regarding school bullying. The researcher adopted a descriptive research design, and the study instrument consisted of a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The study sample comprised 133 female teachers from the elementary school level in inclusive public schools within the city of Riyadh. The researcher utilized the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS) to calculate means and standard deviations, as well as to determine the ranking and level of occurrence for each item of the main questionnaire domains. The results of the study revealed that female students with disabilities are subjected to bullying by their peers. The forms and frequency of bullying varied as follows: verbal bullying ranked first, followed by social bullying, psychological bullying, academic bullying, bullying of personal property, and finally physical bullying. The study also found that the most prominent causes of bullying were differences in cultures and social classes among students, along with a lack of awareness of individual differences. Furthermore, the study emphasized the important role of teachers in reducing bullying and recommended strengthening cooperation between general education and special education teachers to protect students’ rights, particularly those of students with disabilities, as well as promoting continuous professional development through teacher training that contribute to creating a safe school environment.