Bullying Among Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Needs

[Guest guest]

Parents,

 

Research indicates that bullying among children has increased

significantly over the years.  Children who have disabilities are

at increased risk.  The potential harm to children who are victims of this

type of abuse should not be underestimated.  No longer do knowledgeable

professionals view this as a simple rite of passage that parents should let

their children handle on their own.  It is now widely acknowledged that

parents need to be involved.  In fact, the entire community needs to be

involved to address this problem.

 

Learn all you can about the issue and listen to your children.

 

The " Stop Bullying Now " website is a great resource.  Here is an excellent

article:

 

http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/HHS_PSA/pdfs/SBN_Tip_24.pdf

 

Bullying Among Children and Youth

with Disabilities and Special Needs

 

What is bullying?

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an

imbalance of power or strength. Often, it is repeated over time. Bullying can

take many forms, such as hitting, kicking, or shoving (physical bullying),

teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying), intimidation through gestures or

social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying), and sending

insulting messages by text messaging or e-mail (cyberbullying).

 

What is known about bullying among

children with disabilities and special needs?

There is a small but growing amount of research literature on bullying among

children with disabilities and special needs. This research indicates that these

children may be at particular risk of being bullied by their peers. For example,

research tells us that:

 

• Although little research has been conducted on the relation between learning

disabilities (LD) and bullying, available information indicates that children

with LD are at greater risk of being teased and physically bullied (Martlew &

Hodson, 1991; Mishna, 2003; Nabuzoka & , 1993; , Whitney, & ,

1994).

 

• Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more

likely than other children to be bullied. They also are somewhat more likely

than others to bully their peers (Unnever & Cornell, 2003).

 

• Children with medical conditions that affect their appearance (e.g.,

cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and spina bifida) are more likely to be

victimized by peers. Frequently, these children report being called names

related to their disability (Dawkins, 1996).

 

• Obesity also may place children at higher risk of being bullied. In a study

of children aged 11–16, researchers found that overweight and obese girls

(aged 11–16) and boys (aged 11–12) were more likely than normal-weight peers

to be teased or to be made fun of and to experience relational bullying (e.g.,

to be socially excluded). Overweight and obese girls were also more likely to be

physically bullied (Janssen, Craig, Boyce, & Pickett,2004).

 

• Children with hemiplagia (paralysis of one side of their body) are more

likely than other children their age to be victimized by peers, to be rated as

less popular than their peers, and to have fewer friends than other children

(Yude, Goodman, & McConachie, 1998).

 

• Children who have diabetes and who are dependent on insulin may be

especially vulnerable to peer bullying (Storch et al., 2004).

 

• Children who stutter may be more likely than their peers to be bullied. In

one study, 83 percent of adults who had problems with stammering as children

said that they had been teased or bullied; 71 percent of those who had been

bullied said it happened at least once a week (Hugh- & , 1999).

 

How does bullying affect children?

Bullying can have serious consequences. Children and youth who are bullied are

more likely than other children to

• Be depressed, lonely, anxious;

• Have low self-esteem;

• Experience headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, poor appetites;

• Be absent from school and dislike school; and

• Think about suicide.

 

Can bullying of my child be illegal?

Yes. Bullying behavior may cross the line to become “disability harassment,â€

which is illegal under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title

II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. According to the U.S.

Department of Education, disability harassment is “intimidation or abusive

behavior toward a student based on disability that creates a hostile environment

by interfering with or denying a student’s participation in or receipt of

benefits, services, or opportunities in the institution’s program†(U.S.

Department of Education, 2000). This behavior can take different forms including

verbal harassment, physical threats,or threatening written statements. When a

school finds out that harassment may have occurred, staff must investigate the

incident(s) promptly and respond appropriately.

 

Disability harassment can occur in any location that is connected with school:

in classrooms, in the cafeteria, in hallways, on the playground or athletic

fields, or on a school bus. It also can occur during school-sponsored events

(Education Law Center, 2002).

 

What can I do if I think my child is being bullied or is the victim of

disability harassment?

• Be supportive of your child and encourage him or her to describe who was

involved and how and where the bullying or harassment happened. Be sure to tell

your child that it is not his or her fault and that nobody deserves to be

bullied or harassed. Do not encourage your child to fight back. This may make

the problem much worse.

 

• Usually children are able to identify when they are being bullied by their

peers. Sometimes, however, children with disabilities do not realize they are

being targeted. (They may, for example, believe that they have a new friend,

when in fact, this “friend†is making fun of them.) Ask your child specific

questions about his or her friendships and be alert to possible signs of

bullying—even if your

child doesn’t label the behaviors as bullying.

 

• Talk with your child’s teacher immediately to see whether he or she can

help to resolve the problem quickly.

 

• If the bullying or harassment is severe, or if the teacher doesn’t fix the

problem quickly, contact the principal and put your concerns in writing. Explain

what happened in detail and ask for a prompt response. Keep a written record of

all conversations and communications with the school.

 

• Ask the school district to convene a meeting of the Individualized Education

Program (IEP) team or the Section 504 team, a group convened to ensure that the

school district is meeting the needs of its students with disabilities. This

meeting will allow you to explain what has been happening and will let the team

review your child’s IEP or 504 plan and make sure that the school is taking

steps to stop the harassment. If your child needs counseling or other supportive

services because of the harassment, discuss this with the team.

 

• As the U.S. Department of Education (2000) recognizes, “creating a

supportive school climate is the most important step in preventing

harassment.â€Work with the school to help establish a system-wide bullying

prevention program that includes support systems for bullied children.

 

• Sometimes children and youth who are bullied also bully others. Explore

whether your child may also be bullying other younger, weaker students at

school. If so, his or her IEP may need to be modified to include help to change

the aggressive behavior.

 

• Be persistent. Talk regularly with your child and with school staff to see

whether the behavior has stopped.

 

What if the bullying or harassment does not stop?

If your school district does not take reasonable, appropriate steps to end the

bullying or harassment of your child, the district may be violating federal,

state, and local laws. For more information about your legal rights, you may

want to contact:

 

• The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

Phone: (800)-421-3481; or Web:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

 

• The U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs

Phone: (202) 245-7468; or Web:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html