Nick Vujicic's experience of bullying

  Imagine being born without arms and legs. What would you do? 
You have no legs to run. You have no arms to hug. 
How would it influence your whole life? 





  Nick Vujicic was born in 1982 in Melbourne, Australia without arms and legs. During the childhood and teenage years, he was struggled not only with bullying and self-esteem issues, but also with depression and loneliness (Life Without Limbs, 2012). 


  "When he was 10 years old, he had suicidal thoughts, because he felt like he became a burden to his parents and had so many questions about his future and no answers" (Life Without Limbs, 2012). 

Image from <http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/about-nick/>

  "He constantly questioned why he was different than all the other kids surrounding him, why he was the one born without arms and legs. He wondered what the purpose behind his life was, or if he even had a purpose" (Life Without Limbs, 2012)

“When I was teased at school, I felt like I wish I wasn’t born.”

(Teasing -Stop the Epidemic, 2012)

  There are many students with physical disabilities who suffer deeply from bullying at schools like Nick Vujicic. Researchers said that eight out of ten children with a physical disability have been bullied (MacArthur, Sharp, Gaffney & Kelly, 2007).



  Nick could overcome all the negatives and struggles around him, and gain the strength and passion to live his life. It was possible because he had "a strong faith in God, supportive family, friends and many people who encouraged him" throughout his journey (Life Without Limbs, 2012).

Image from <http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/about-nick/>

“We can either kill somebody without words or we can save somebody without words.”

(Teasing -Stop the Epidemic, 2012)

  He was very lucky to have great people around him. However, there are many students with physical disability who have no one who encourage them to pursue their dream and give advice throughout their lives. For them, we need more effective teaching strategies and classroom management skills, strong and clear policies and curriculums for the protection of disabled students from school bullying, and regular teacher or parent training programmes.

  Today, Nick became world famous motivational speaker, and the President and CEO of a non-profit organisation, Life Without Limbs. He move around the world to tell his story and inspire a range of different groups from students, teachers to businessmen and entrepreneurs.  

Image from <http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/about-nick/>

“We need to come together in love. It doesn’t matter how you look. I don’t care how ugly you think you are. You are beautiful just the way that you are.”

“I am special just the way I am, because God loves me, and it’s ok for me to be me.”

(Teasing -Stop the Epidemic, 2012)

Parents Intervention

  Stephanie Steiner, the director of The Matrix Parents Network, said:

“without timely and appropriate intervention, students with disbilties who experience bullying will have increased problems that will likely make it more difficult to meet their special needs. Parents must always intervene” (Walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes, p.15).

  Parents must be the primary manager and advocates of their children with disabilities. For that reason, in order to prevent and solve the issues of school bullying that often targets disabled students, parents of disabled infants, children and youth should be provided with some training programmes and information about anti-bullying and some parental intervention strategies (Walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes, 2012).

Image from <http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/indexes/2011/twt_20111007.htm>

The organisation called "The Matrix Parents Network" demonstrates best practices for parents:

1. Be aware that adult intervention can often be felt as not helpful by students and bring more harassment from bullies.
2. Be observant of a child's behaviour, moods and appearance, particularly if one thinks that a child is 'at risk' for being bullied.
3. If a parent suspects something is wrong, talk with the child.
4. Don't blame the child. 
5. Get details from the child about the incident(s).
6. Stay focused on the child and the issue.
7. If appropriate, use problem solve or brainstorm intervention strategies with the child.
8. Bullying should NEVER be ignored.
9. Talk with all pertinent school staff.
10. Make sure that the staff speaks with the bully and victim SEPARATELY. 
11. If needed, ask for a general or an IEP meeting to discuss the situation and solutions.
12. Record dates, who was involved, what was said. 
13. A written complaints
14. Seek the help of outside professionals, such as a paediatrician or mental health provider. 
15. Consult with outside organisations
16. If physical signs of the bullying exist, take a photo.
17. For the younger child, volunteering in his/her classroom is helpful.
18. Discuss the issue of bullying with other parents or in a support group.
19. Continue to assess and monitor the child.

(Walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes, p.17)

Teachers and special educators Interventions

  In New Zealand, “Article 2 of United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereafter “UNCORC”) points to schools’ responsibilities to provide children and young people with protection from discrimination” (MacArthur, 2012, p.7). 

Image is from <http://helenabaillio.wordpress.com/2010/03/page/3/>

However, teachers often do not provide any support and intervention, even though they can easily notice the isolation or bullying amongst students with physical disabilities (MacArthur et al., 2007).

  “Teachers and special educators sometimes serve as “first responders” when bullying occurs in the classroom" (Walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes, p.54). Therefore, they should always be observant of students' behaviour, mood and particularly some students who are at risk for being bullied or bully.

Image from <http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/50-best-blogs-for-future-teachers.html>

If teacher find out some problems with bullying in a class, he/she should remain calm, separate bully and victim and made an appointment for teacher-parent conference as soon as possible. 



  In order to prevent or resolve the issues of bullying in a class, teacher should encourage students' social experiences and be aware that some teacher or adult intervention and support is necessary (MacArthur, 2012).


  Organizing students into small groups or seating students with physical disabilities with pro-social students are very effective classroom management skills to enhance every students' (especially disabled students') social skills and broad their perspectives of human diversity. 


"Where teachers demonstrated an awareness of students’ social experiences, and modelled a valuing of diversity in this way, we observed other students interacting with, and taking an interest in their disabled peers" (MacArthur, 2012, p.7).

Schools Intervention

  

  Students with physical disabilities could experience school playgrounds as dangerous places. 


Example 1. 

  Eleven-year-old Ian spent his morning tea break in the ‘safe’ space of the special unit, away from his classmates in his regular year seven class, and at lunchtime he went to the library. He felt there was a good chance that he would be hit with balls or knocked over in the playground, and said it would make his life easier if other students had a better understanding of his physical impairment and the effects of this on his school life:

"They need to know more, even if I am not in their classroom. They need to know what, like not in their faces, just a bit like, disabilities. . . the fact that I can’t just walk through anything"(MacArthur, Sharp, Gaffney & Kelly, 2007, p.131).

 

Image from <http://www.leadonnetwork.org/wordpress/2012/05/23/education-update-13/>

"Harry felt that his school sidelined disabled students" (MacArthur et al. 2007, p.151).

  "Students with disabilities indicated that schools’ bullying procedures were not always effective. They wanted more attention to be paid to bullying than other things" (MacArthur, 2012, p.5). 


A key to positive social participation for disabled students lay in the development of an inclusive and equitable school culture that recognised diversity. 


Schools should:

1. consider disability awareness.
2. provide curriculum strategies and resources that value diversity.
3. consider using a student survey to allow students' freedom of expression. 
4. have clear anti-bullying/harassment policies and procedures and make students clearly be aware of it. 
5. encourage students' involvement in a school program

The influence of bullying on disabled students

  There are some evidences that bullying results in the physical exclusion from certain activities or classes in schools (MacArthur & Gaffney, 2001; Kearney, 2011).


  “In a study of physically disabled students in Ireland, Shevlin, Kenny, and McNeela (2002), found that the majority of students interviewed has often experienced exclusion from full curricular access" (Kearney, 2011, p.83).


  It is due to the fact that the self-esteem and social skills for students with physical disabilities are decreased as they are bullied by non-disabled peers. Therefore, it lead them to be isolated not only physically, but also emotionally from everyone else in a classroom. 

Nick Vujicic said, 

"Many people would say, "you ain't called unless you do what We do. You ain't called unless you are part of OUR group"

(Teasing-Stop the Epidemic, 2012)

Image from <http://www.epm.org/blog/2012/Mar/14/nick-vujicic-he-uses-me-just-way-i-am>

Eventually, disabled students with behavioural and emotional problems are more likely to be victimized by bullying, and bullies tend to frequently target smaller and weaker peers (Child Health Alert, 2006, as cited from Flynt & Morton, 2007). Therefore, students with disabilities who physically differ from the norm have the highest risk of being bullied at schools. 

"Getting picked on. . .the bullies (who) push me over and hit me in the head with a skipping rope...I was kicked and punched in the back all assembly by girls . . . I ended up crying" (MacArthur & Gaffney, 2001, p.20).

"Interviewer: Have you got any ideas why some kids pick on other kids?

Tom: Probably it’s because I’m a disability and probably because I don’t know what really to do and that sort of situation because these kids are in big gangs" 

(MacArthur et al., 2001, p.21)

Disabled students' experience of bullying: Student-to-student bullying and Teacher-to-student bullying

  Bullying is widely concerned as one of huge issues for disabled students in schools.

  Some studies show that disabled students are estimated to be twice as likely to be bullied as non-disabled students. (Kearney, 2011; MacArthur, 2012; New Zealand Human Rights Commission, 2009)

  Norwich and Kelly (2004) found that there are two types of bullying in schools; student-to-student bullying and teacher-to-student bullying. (Kearney, 2011) 

  Disturbingly, one third of parent questionnaire and interview respondents said that their disabled children had experienced some form of teacher bullying in schools. In addition, most school principals were aware that some teachers in their school were bullying disabled students. (Kearney, 2011) "Teacher-to-student bullying included humiliation, intimidation, shouting, teachers encouraging other students to bully the child, and in one case, a teacher physically hurting a child" (Kearney, 2011, p.84; MacArthur, 2012).

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO857j0qCQo)

  Teacher-to-student bullying has been recognised for a long time. However, there are few studies that investigate the issue of teacher-to-student bullying and its influence on disabled students' learning outcomes, social relationships, relationships with being bullied by peers and development of self-esteem and identity. 

Image from <http://www.amazon.com/Bullied-Teacher-Student-Recognize-Bullying/dp/1551381907>

  Teacher-to-student bullying is similar to student-to-student bullying, since  bullying occurs many times for a long period of time in a public manner (Kearney, 2011). However, teacher-to-student bullying can influence more sever impact on disabled students. 

 "Some researchers reports that when a student bullies another person, observers can reinforce and model the bullying behaviour" (O’Connell, Pepler & Craig, 1999, as cited in Kearney, 2011, p.84). It could be said that teachers who are role models to every students' learning and behaviour bully disabled students, "non-disabled students may feel that if it is acceptable for a teacher to bully a student, it is acceptable for them to do so as well" (Kearney, 2011, p.85).