A new survey by the Anti-Bullying Alliance has found that a whopping 90 percent of British children have either being bullied or have seen others get bullied because of their intelligence or talent. Reading about it made me really sad… and worried for what it could one day mean for my children. How could it be that excelling in something can make you the target of a bully? How are we supposed to raise our children to be the best that they can be when that could mean they'll end up getting bullied?
The results of the survey are pretty discouraging with about half of 11- to 16-year-olds admitting they've downplayed a talent to evade being bullied and one quarter saying they've quit an activity for the same reason.
According to a statement by head of the Anti-Bullying Alliance Ross Hendry published on The Huffington Post:
We know that bullying can lead to children missing school, failing exams, dropping out of sport, avoiding extra-curricular activities and limiting their life choices. It's unacceptable that rather than celebrate their talent, they feel that they have to hide their gifts…
Sadly, things are even grimmer for girls, especially if they're into math and science, like mine is. I've been so happy to see my daughter's own interest in these subjects, that I've made a concerted effort to continue to promote it. But, I was floored to find out that 1 in 5 girls haven't done as well in math as they could have for fear of being bullied.
In terms of other minorities, things don't get any better. The survey found that high achieving black and Latino students who don't fit the stereotype of performing poorly in school "may be especially vulnerable to the effect bullying has on grades," according to the survery's co-author, Lisa M. Williams.
Although I've always said that I would never home school my children, finding out about surveys like this one make me wonder if I should change my mind.
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