Peer Bullying of Students in Inclusion Programs: A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Physical Education and Sports Teachers

Students in inclusion programs are more vulnerable to peer bullying due to their special educa-tional needs and experience such behaviors more frequently than their typically developing peers. This study aims to explore peer bullying against inclusion students from the perspective of physical education and sports teachers. Employing a qualitative research design, data were collected from nine male physical education and sports teachers through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that inclusion students are often subjected to various forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, social exclusion, and cyberbullying. These incidents predominantly occur during recess and in playground settings, where teacher supervision is lim-ited. As a result, students may become socially withdrawn or display aggressive behaviors. Con-tributing factors to bullying include students’ academic and social challenges, family and societal influences, and labeling attitudes exhibited by teachers. While individual efforts by teachers offer some support, the findings underscore the need for a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to address peer bullying. Such an approach should involve school-wide policies, enhanced teacher awareness, parental education, and greater societal sensitivity.