Effect of Bullying and Aggression on Social Communication of Children who Stutter

Abstract

Background: Bullying and aggression in school settings have a profound impact on children, especially those with communication challenges like stuttering. Previous research has indicated that children who stutter may face increased risks of bullying, leading to adverse social, psychological, and academic outcomes. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between bullying, aggression, and social communication skills in children who stutter, and to understand the prevalence and impact of bullying on this particular group. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 385 stuttering adolescents aged 10-18 years, alongside their parents, at Eman Clinic, Children's Hospital, and GHQ Hospital in Faisalabad. The study utilized the Olweus Bullying Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) and the Bus Perry Aggression Questionnaire to assess bullying and aggression. The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) was employed to evaluate social communication skills. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, focusing on descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Results: The age distribution of respondents showed 38.2% (150) in the 10-12 age group, 34.6% (136) in the 13-15 age group, and 25.2% (99) in the 16-18 age group. Regarding gender, 59.0% (232) were female and 39.0% (153) were male. The correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between bullying and aggression (r = .435, p < .000), while the relationships between bullying and SCQ (r = -.046, p = .371), and aggression and SCQ (r = .051, p = .323) were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The study highlights a significant correlation between bullying and aggression in stuttering adolescents, suggesting that as bullying increases, so does aggression. However, the impact of bullying and aggression on social communication skills was less clear, indicating a need for further research. These findings underscore the necessity of developing supportive measures in educational and healthcare settings for stuttering children to combat bullying and its adverse effects.