School bullying and cyberbullying in academically gifted students: A systematic review

Abstract

The objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the research works that have analyzed school bullying and cyberbullying in academically gifted students. The search was carried out in the main psychology databases (Scopus, Web of Science, and Psych Info), considering works from the past 22 years (2000–2022). One hundred and sixty-five documents were analyzed, of which fifteen studies complied with the inclusion criteria. Seven of these made comparisons between gifted and non-gifted students, classified according to three perspectives: (a) studies concluding that gifted students have a greater risk of being victims than non-gifted students and have a lower risk of being a bully, due to the characteristics of this group; (b) studies that affirm that gifted students have a lower risk of being a bully or victim, as compared to non-gifted students since their high cognitive level allows them to effectively handle social and emotional challenges, thereby contributing to a lower level of participation in bullying or victimization behavior; (c) and studies concluding that gifted students have a similar risk of being a bully or victim as non-gifted students. Studies that only use samples of gifted students reveal a high prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying, and very negative consequences on this group. Although the limited number of studies does not allow for a definitive confirmation of a greater vulnerability to bullying by academically gifted students, it does confirm the need to recommend that the educational community offer preventive elements and specific interventions for this group.