Bullying in Children and Teenagers Who Stutter and the Relation to Self-Esteem, Social Acceptance, and Anxiety

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of bullying to self-esteem and anxiety in children and teenagers who stutter. Bullying in 59 children and teenagers who stutter was assessed using a newly-developed questionnaire, the Bullying Assessment. Additionally, the participants completed the Harter Self-Perception questionnaire, and an adapted version of the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory. A significant correlation was found between bullying and the peer-related self-perception and state anxiety in a shop. The analysis was then repeated for two different age groups (children and teenagers) to assess whether or not there were differences over ages. For children, a relation between bullying and self-esteem was found, whereas for teenagers there was a relation between bullying and state anxiety. Clinical implications discuss strategies how to deal with bullying and highlight the importance of in-vivo-training and working on self-confidence.