Preventing bullying of students with special educational needs through dialogic gatherings: a case study in elementary education

Scientific literature has clarified that bullying is a global challenge and students with special educational needs (SEN) are at a higher risk of experiencing it. Educational actions focused on dialogue and interaction as dialogic gatherings (DG) have been widely studied as a successful educational...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Álvarez Guerrero, Garazi, García Carrión, Rocío, Khalfaoui, Andrea, Santiago-Garabieta, Maite, Flecha, Ramón
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2023
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/213703
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/213703
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Assetjament escolar
Necessitats educatives especials
Educació primària
Bullying in schools
Special education
Primary education
Description
Summary:Scientific literature has clarified that bullying is a global challenge and students with special educational needs (SEN) are at a higher risk of experiencing it. Educational actions focused on dialogue and interaction as dialogic gatherings (DG) have been widely studied as a successful educational action (SEAs) rooted in egalitarian dialogue that promotes social cohesion. However, its potential to prevent bullying among students with SEN remains to be investigated. This qualitative case study explores the impact of implementing DG in two elementary classrooms and its potential to prevent school violence in a comprehensive school setting (43 students, 10–12 years old, from which 5 had SEN). Classroom observations of DGs and focus groups with teachers and students were conducted. Data analysis indicated that DG effectively contributed to students’ increased awareness regarding the distinction between violent and non-violent relationships, and influenced their personal preferences, guiding them towards non-violent behaviours. Implications for practice highlight the potential of DG to enhance non-violent behaviours among elementary students, which is particularly relevant to ensure students with SEN’s protection and inclusion.