Prevalence, risk and protective factors associated with the bullying of young people with autism spectrum disorders

This paper is a presentation of an on-going doctoral investigation into
prevalence, risk and protective factors associated with the bullying of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in England. Bullying is linked to a wide range of negative outcomes for children, some of which are thought to continue into adulthood. While there is relatively little research to date into bullying of children and young people with ASD, existing studies and anecdotal evidence from parents, teachers and children suggest that this group may be particularly susceptible, due to the difficulties typical of ASDs. However, it is probable that there are other factors which contribute to the risk of a child being bullied at school. A mixed method design has been used to explore this area, using data from the evaluation of the Achievement for All project [1]. The data was collected from a range of sources, including teacher and parent surveys, as well as other contextual variables, with semi-structured interviews conducted for the qualitative strand. Initial quantitative findings indicate that children with ASD are one of the most bullied special educational needs groups in England, with parents reporting a higher prevalence of bullying than teachers. Preliminary analyses suggest that age, behavioural problems, positive relationships, parental engagement and confidence, type of school attended, levels of support in school, and mode of travel to school are significant factors in predicting the likelihood of being a victim of bullying. These findings will be presented, along with implications for the classroom and educational policy.