Bullying and Cyberbullying among Students with Cochlear Implants

Abstract

Bullying is a significant problem for young people nowadays, regardless of their identity, culture, or background. Although the scientific evidence warns of a greater impact of bullying on vulnerable groups such as cochlear implant (CI) users, few specific studies have been carried out in this regard. As such, the fundamental objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of both traditional bullying and cyberbullying among Spanish adolescents and young people with CI. Parents with children CI users were also invited to participate to explore their perspective concerning the victimization of their children. The information was collected using one survey for students aged 11–23 year (n = 102) and another for parents (n = 127). Beyond the frequency and types of bullying suffered or the methods used for coping with victimization, results also show lower rates of bullying when students were asked specifically with a single-item question than when applying multi-item questionnaires. The results are discussed in terms of the broader international bullying and victimization literature.