Prevalence of victimization from school staff to students referred to school integration programs

This study analyzes and compares the experience of school victimization by peers and school staff, between students with and without diagnosis of special educational (SEN). 5,527 elementary school students studying in public schools with School Integration Programs (SIP) in one city of Valparaiso, Chile, participated in this study. Of these, 77 were students with SEN participating in the SIP. Odds-ration and logistic regression analyses revealed higher levels of peer and school staff victimization for the subgroup of students with SEN in SIP programs, as compared to their non-SEN peers. The odds ratio was 2 to 1 for peer victimization and 3 to 1 for school staff victimization. Whereas for the general population of students, the odds that a student might inform at least one type of peer victimization increased 3 times if that student informed some type of school staff victimization, the same odds increased 18 to 20 times for the SEN students in SIP. These results suggest that students with SEN are an at-risk population with respect to school victimization, both from their peers as well as from school staff. Of special concern is the protective role that school staff is able to provide, if they themselves actively participate in victimizing these students. The results are discussed considering the need to focus on promoting protective factors that may favor the development of a caring and protective community for all students.