Dumb, dull, deaf… There is no doubt that bullying is still one of the major outstanding issues in the Spanish educational system, but when it comes to school children with some kind of disability, the number rises dramatically. Therefore, according to the latest data collected by the Spanish Council for the Defense of People with Disabilities and/or Dependants … (CEDDD), eight out of ten minors admit they have been victims of some form of school violence. In regular education centres, this percentage can exceed 90 percent.
Harassment towards them Students with disabilities It can manifest itself in mockery of the way they talk, walk, learn… Isolation within a group, physical attacks or digital harassment through social networks and instant messaging are also common. In many cases, CEDDD insists, “lack of adequate support or poor teacher training exacerbates the situation.”
According to recent data, the risk of being exposed to harassment decreases or increases depending on the type of disability. As for people suffering from physical disabilities, their percentage is 26.9 percent; People with mental disabilities; 26.1 percent, visually impaired 17.5 percent; Those suffering from mental illness 15.4 percent, and those with hearing disabilities 14.7 percent.
The problem, as it happens with other schoolchildren, is not limited to the actual classroom. In the digital environment, cyberbullying has taken on new dimensions. According to recent studies, in 14 percent of cyberbullying cases, emotional intelligence is actually used to manipulate images or assume identities, doubling the psychological and social damage to victims.
“In the case of disability, bullying is double discrimination.”
Mar Ugarte, Vice President of CEDDD, emphasizes that these numbers “are more than just statistics: They represent a broken childhoodViolated rights and interrupted educational paths. In the case of minors with disabilities, bullying takes on a double discriminatory dimension, because they are not only attacked because of their physical, sensory or intellectual differences, but also because of the social invisibility that continues to burden the disability.
Because the loneliness of these minors, as Monica Mir, vice president of Bestbuddies Spain, points out, “is one of the most devastating forms of harassment. The truth is that the educational system confronts these situations with very limited resources. And teachers do it to the best of their ability.” This is confirmed by Javier Lastra, Dean of the Official College of Psychology of Cantabria, who believes, from a clinical point of view, that “teachers have an undeniable commitment to education, but they lack sufficient tools to face complex situations.”
“In good faith, these minors are not included.”
For this reason, “It is very important to train teachers to detect all forms of harassment,” stresses Juan Cristobal Cabidas Pedraza, President of the Master Plan Group for Coexistence and Safety Improvement in Educational Centers and their Environment. Not everything is destructive, physical violence and psychological harassment as well.
Social invisibility
In this context, Mir believes that “what cannot be asked of families is to turn their children into standard bearers. For parents, the decision to choose a special education center is very difficult. For Ugarte, it is urgent” to update anti-harassment protocols, clearly incorporating the disability variable, and ensuring their homogeneous application throughout the territory. Rapid activation, assessable follow-up and legal consequences where appropriate are also essential. Specific strengthening of education workers, students and families in coping, accessibility and early care is also essential.
But, according to the Vice President of CEDDD, “In good faith these minors are not included. Harassment of this group must be a priority on the educational and social agenda. It is not enough to recognize the problem: we must work determinedly, with effective laws, clear protocols and specific training, to get professionals prepared for this problem. Disability cannot remain a cause of exclusion, but rather a value that enriches our classrooms and our society,” concludes Ugarte.