Narrative Inquiry of Borderline Intellectual Functioning Middle School Students Who Experienced Both Bullying Perpetration and Victimization

Purpose: This study examines the bullying–victimization experiences of middle school students with borderline intellectual functioning, who often fall within the blind spots of the educational system. By exploring their narratives, the study seeks to identify the core difficulties they face in peer relationships arising from these overlapping experiences. Methods: This study involved a middle school student with borderline intellectual functioning who had experienced both perpetration and victimization in school bullying, as well as a professional counseling teacher who provided contextual insight into the student’s experiences. Using the student’s narrative, this study examined the overlapping experiences of bullying perpetration and victimization through narrative inquiry, a qualitative approach that explores the meaning of lived experiences within their temporal, social, and contextual contexts. Results: The study findings are as follows. Participants struggled to cope with feelings of alienation and subtle harassment, stemming from unmet needs for peer relationships. They also experienced emotional distress—such as psychological withdrawal and loneliness—caused by repeated misunderstandings and criticism. Meanwhile, the negative emotions accumulated through their victimization emerged as physical and verbal aggression, and their limited self-defense abilities, ongoing misunderstandings, and stigma resulted in complex psychological challenges. Ultimately, unmet needs for empathy and belonging within peer relationships were fulfilled through vicarious experiences with animated characters. Conclusion: This study is meaningful in that it explores how borderline intelligent middle school students’ overlapping experiences of school violence affect them and what they mean by understanding the experiences of research participants who experienced school violence.