Identifying, Preventing and Combating Bullying in Gifted Education

Acts of bullying and victimization experienced by gifted individuals is a seriously neglected problem, leaving many of these students emotionally shaken and subject to extreme anxiety and depression. Even more, based on certain common characteristics of giftedness in particularly, some gifted individuals can find themselves very vulnerable to bullying, which can cause even more difficulties in their interpersonal relationships and development. Despite its importance in the social-emotional wellness and mental health of gifted children, many related books do not discuss bullying as a primary or exclusive topic for students with high abilities. Identifying, Preventing, and Combating Bullying in Gifted Education provides a critical review and expanded context within gifted education to include social, emotional, and cultural (SEC) components of the bullying phenomenon. It offers a global, multidisciplinary perspective and has the differential of helping all stakeholders of gifted education and programming identify, prevent and combat different forms of bullying and other aggressive behaviors that negatively impact the quality of education for all gifted students. It presents a balance between theoretical, methodological and empirical chapters with research, testimonies and experiences of the authors, clients, and students shared. Structured and integrated around a coherent central theme, an additional introduction stages the three sections of the book with each of the chapters strategically crafted to better equip readers with ways to identify, prevent and intervene in actions of bullying in gifted education. Specifically, it serves as a fundamental resource for educators, teacher-trainers, mental health professionals, and families of gifted students at all grade levels. As a call to action, this book aims to better equip readers as advocates in their service to all students, and gifted students in particular. Research-based content and topics include identifying the aggressors, the victims, and the bystanders of bullying; peer-to-peer bullying; in-depth, personal, and global look at the relationship between giftedness, vulnerable populations, and bullying; gifted and talented education policy and practices that foster a micro-aggressive environment; and issues of equity for special populations, such as underrepresented student in gifted education. Culminating a unique and more comprehensive perspective, the contributors are internationally recognized and award winning experts who have committed their professional life to work that positively impact the emotional well-being of students as a critical element to their cognitive and talent development. Leading authors and specialists from around the world, and from different academic disciplines and backgrounds to include education, engineering, physics, counseling, and psychiatry are featured.