The relationship between bullying and stuttering in schoolchildren: scoping review

to map and synthesise scientific evidence on the relationship between bullying and stuttering in schoolchildren. The following specific aims will be investigated: (1) the impact of the co-occurrence of both; (2) strategies for identifying bullying in children who stutter; and (3) approaches to tackling bullying in this population.

Scoping Review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The PubMed, Scielo, CAPES, and Web of Science databases were consulted using specific descriptors.

Full-text articles in English or Portuguese were included, with no time limit. Opinion articles, letters to the editor, and studies that did not meet the objective of the study were excluded.

The data extracted included author, title, objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions, culminating in a PRISMA-ScR flowchart for organising the findings.

The studies analysed point to a higher prevalence of bullying, anxiety and low self-esteem among children and adolescents who stutter, especially in the school environment. Weakened social relationships and lack of awareness increase the risk of exclusion. Speech therapists play an essential role in guidance and prevention, although there is still a need for more robust research on effective interventions.

This study confirmed the relationship between stuttering and the experience of bullying, highlighting the impacts on the mental health and socialisation of people who stutter. In addition, although scarce, the main intervention strategies identified to date were gathered, such as educational programmes and prevention activities, still in the school environment and in conjunction with the academic staff and family members.