Being labelled ‘gifted’ can open doors — but it can also close some off. A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that for many high-achieving students, academic success may come at the cost of social belonging.
In a survey of 748 middle and high school students in the southeastern United States, researchers found that around one in 3 gifted students reported feeling isolated or disconnected from their peers. The study, published in Psychology in the Schools, suggests that for some, being labelled as gifted brings not just academic challenge but social and emotional strain.
Gifted programs are designed to provide enrichment — more autonomy, more advanced learning, and greater engagement. But the study found that the label itself can lead to a sense of pressure and difference.
“I’ve had parents say, ‘I don’t want my kid tested because I don’t want them challenged. I don’t want them to feel pressure,” says lead author Shannon Carter, a recent graduate from UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education and an eighth-grade science teacher. “For some of the students, they feel that ‘if I’m in these classes, I have to perform.’”
Of the students surveyed, more than 250 were enrolled in their school’s gifted program. Participants were asked about their emotional engagement, relationships with teachers and peers, sense of belonging, and whether they felt any social stigma related to being labelled as gifted.
About one-third of gifted students said they experienced some degree of stigma. Compared to their peers who didn’t feel stigmatised, these students reported weaker relationships with teachers, lower peer support, more difficulty adjusting socially, and a reduced sense of belonging. The differences were significant, pointing to the hidden emotional toll that can come with the gifted tag.
That performance pressure can make students anxious about keeping up or being judged more harshly. While many gifted students enjoy their classes and feel supported, others worry that academic success comes at the cost of emotional wellbeing or social belonging.
“For any student, we have to see them as a whole person,” says Carter. “If we’re only meeting their academic needs, but we overlook the social and emotional, then we can be failing our students.”
To better support gifted learners, the researchers recommend addressing the stigma that can come with the ‘gifted’ label, providing professional development to help teachers build stronger relationships with high-achieving students, and recognising the emotional challenges some of these students may face.