Many children suffer from various kinds of physical disabilities in the world. Some of these disabilities are congenital, which means those children are born with these problems. Sometimes, children suffer from disabilities caused by accidents in their infancy, which may be beyond medical treatment. These children sometimes gets bullied in schools, which may make their education more difficult. According to the research done by DfE between 2013 and 2018, around 30% of the children suffering from various disabilities were subjected to bullying while only 15% of non-disabled students face such bullying actions.
Bullying of children suffering from physical disabilities can result in many adverse effects on them, which may even block their accessibility to the normal education system. Few common effects seen due to bullying in these students are:
More absence in classes –When physically disabled students are continuously bullied in class, they gradually lose interest to attend classes. So, they may start showing reluctance in going to school, resulting in asharp decrease intheir attendance in all classes.
Difficulty in paying attention –Physically disabled kids may suffer from mental depression if they are bullied by their classmates. So they fail to concentrate properly on their studies or the lessons taught by their teachers in the class.
Lesser interest in studies –These bullied children gradually lose interest in their academic studies, due to the physical or mental torture inflicted on them by their fellow classmates. These kids may not feel enthusiastic enough to study regularly even at home because of the depression caused by bullying.
Deterioration in school reports – The loss of interest in studies is reflected in the sharp drop in the grades achieved. Further impacts participation in extracurricular activities at school, due to the fear of being bullied.
Wish for leaving school –Bullied students often show more inclination for dropping out of schools when they cannot cope with the pressure anymore. So their education may suffer because of the insensitivity of their classmates. Bullying can be of different types, inflicting physical or mental harassment, knowingly or unknowingly. Calling funny names, verbal abuse, exclusion from activities and even in some cases physical assault can heavily scar the minds of these kids. Sometimes, they are publicly humiliated due to their physical weaknesses, for which they feel insulted and demoralized. It is the duty of the parents, teachers, and other grown-ups to ensure inclusion-both physically, by making an accessible environment,and also mentally, by focusing on culture of empathy. Empowering children with disabilities and educating everyone about the impact of bullying and exclusion will go a long way.
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