Motivational aspects of bullying of children with special needs in the educational process

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2025.19.02.20

Keywords:

bullying motivation, special education, inclusive education, children with special educational needs, family and school prevention

Abstract

This study examines the key motivational factors that lead to bullying against children with special educational needs in both inclusive and special educational environments.  The present study empirically examines the motivational aspects of bullying. The research employed a structured survey involving 40 participants with relevant experience in inclusive education: teachers, psychologists, school administrators, and parents of children with special educational needs. The thematic analysis method was used to analysis the data. The analysis revealed that aggressive behaviour in school settings is often shaped by external social influences, particularly peer dynamics and exposure to digital media. Additional contributing factors include psychological maladjustment among perpetrators and inadequate responses from adults in educational contexts. Victimization is frequently associated with the limited self-defence capacity and social integration challenges faced by students with special needs. The study found no significant difference in the prevalence of bullying across educational models, suggesting that school culture and institutional support are more influential than the type of classroom setting. Effective prevention requires systematic communication among stakeholders and the early identification of bullying behaviours by trained professionals. The findings underscore the necessity of addressing the underlying motivations behind bullying in order to design sustainable intervention strategies. Hence, the are important for improving school policies and teacher training programs, as they contribute to the formation of a safer and more inclusive educational environment for children with special educational needs.

Author Biographies

Anna Zamsha, Ukrainian Academy of Social, Humanities, and Health Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Head of the Research Center of General and Special Education Science, Ukrainian Academy of Social, Humanities, and Health Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Alla Dushka, Bogdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Melitopol, Ukraine.

Doctor of Sciences in Psychology, Professor of the Department of Psychology, Bogdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Legal Address: Melitopol, Ukraine.

Iryna Omelchenko, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Doctor of Sciences in Psychology, Chief Researcher of the Department of Psychological and Pedagogical Support for Children with Special Needs, Mykola Yarmachenko Institute of Special Education and Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Vadym Kobylchenko, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Doctor of Sciences in Psychology, Chief Researcher of the Department of Education of Children with Sensory Development Disorders, Mykola Yarmachenko Institute of Special Education and Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.

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Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Zamsha, A., Dushka, A., Omelchenko, I., & Kobylchenko, V. (2025). Motivational aspects of bullying of children with special needs in the educational process. Eduweb, 19(2), 296–311. https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2025.19.02.20

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