Bullying
On this Page
Bullying is repeated, forceful behavior meant to cause physical or emotional harm
as a way to scare or control others. The behavior can include teasing, insulting,
shoving, hitting, or gossiping, and it is often an act of power. This page will talk
about bullying and children with disabilities, how children are affected by
bullying, signs a child is being bullied, important things to know when watching for
bullying, and where to get help.
Bullying and the Child with Disabilities
Bullying can happen to any person in any place. While no one cause puts a
child at risk of being bullied, children with disabilities are both at risk and
highly affected by being bullied. One study shows 60% of students with disabilities
tell someone they are being bullied often, compared with 25% of all students.
How are Children Affected by Bullying?
Children who are bullied may feel upset, afraid, ashamed, embarrassed, and
nervous about going to school. Longer-term effects include lower scholastic success
and aspirations, greater anxiety, loss of self-esteem, depression and post-traumatic
stress, physical health problems, self-harm and suicidal thinking, suicide, feelings
of loneliness, more absences from school, and other harmful impacts to a child’s
health and education. [Young: 2010]
Children who bully other children also have lasting problems. Sometimes children
who have certain emotional or behavioral disorders or limited social skills act in a
way that is mistaken for bullying. Whether the behavior is intended, or is due to
disability, it still needs to be addressed.
Signs a Child is Being Bullied
Bullying usually keeps happening unless there is intervention, but knowing
when it happens can be difficult. Children will not always tell you they are being
bullied. Possible signs are:
- Changes in behavior
- Unusual episodes of acting out
- Sleep problems
- Bed-wetting
- Crying or sadness for no known reason
- Unusual “clinginess” to family and caregivers
- Fear of leaving home, going to school, or usual daily activities
Important Things to Know
Children may not necessarily know they are being bullied.
Sometimes children may believe they have made new friends when in fact
those friends are making fun of them. Children with special needs may be more
trusting and at risk in social situations. Ask your children about their day,
who they were with or talked to, and who their friends are. Listen carefully for
anything that causes you concern.
Bullying is different from conflict.
- Conflict is a disagreement or argument in which both sides express their views
- Bullying is a negative behavior directed by someone exerting power and control over another person.
Sometimes people think that bullying and conflict are the same thing,
but they aren’t. In one way or another, conflict is a part of everyday
experience, in which we navigate the complexities of how we interact. Typically
minor conflicts don’t make someone feel unsafe or threatened. Bullying, on the
other hand, is when someone is hurt by unwanted words or actions, usually more
than once and has a hard time stopping what is happening to them.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like smart
phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps,
or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in,
or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative,
harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal
or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some
cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
Warning Signs a Child is Being Cyberbullied or is Cyberbullying Others
Many of the warning signs that cyberbullying is occurring happen
around a child’s use of their device. Some of the warning signs that a child may
be involved in cyberbullying are:
- Noticeable increases or decreases in device use, including texting.
- A child exhibits emotional responses (laughter, anger, upset) to what is happening on their device.
- A child hides their screen or device when others are near, and avoids discussion about what they are doing on their device.
- Social media accounts are shut down or new ones appear.
- A child starts to avoid social situations, even those that were enjoyed in the past.
- A child becomes withdrawn or depressed, or loses interest in people and activities.
Practice Digital Awareness as a Parent
- Monitor a teen’s Social Media and Apps, and browsing history if you have concerns that cyberbullying may be occurring.
- Review or re-set your child’s phone location and privacy settings.
- Follow or friend your teen on social media sites or have another trusted adult do so.
- Stay up-to-date on the latest apps, social media platforms, and digital slang used by children and teens.
- Know your child’s user names and passwords for email and social media.
- Establish Rulesabout appropriate digital behavior, content, and apps.
Educate yourself on digital monitoring apps and parental
controls. Sit down with your child and review their activity. Discuss intent
vs impact of their actions.
Getting Help
If your child has let you know that he or she is being bullied, call the school to
talk about this with the teacher and principal. If your child has an IEP, involve
the team right away, create strategies for your child to cope and let adults know if
they are being bullied. Children with disabilities are protected under Title II of
the Americans with Disabilities Act. Schools are required by law to make sure they
are addressing their needs and resolving harassment or bullying issues.
The Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework includes school-based
interventions or services that address different “levels” of supports needed to deal
with the range of learning, mental health, and emotional-behavioral health concerns
that a student may have. It is also used in bullying prevention and intervention.
Multi-tiered service delivery involves providing universal and selective prevention
services, as well as indicated intervention services.
In all cases, bullying is a public health challenge. Awareness and focus
is needed with intervention and prevention of bullying of students with
disabilities. Share your child’s comments about their day with their IEP team
members to provide context. Have the IEP team agree upon a communication method that
is accessible, convenient and can be used regularly by the whole team to be
proactive. An example is a shared Google document.
Resources
Information & Support
For Parents and Patients
Bullying and Harassment of Students with Disabilities
From Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center.
stopbullying.gov
Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe
school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.
A Report and Guide on Bullying and the Child with Special Needs (
3.7 MB)
Walk a Mile in their Shoes: Bullying and the Child with Special Needs, a report and guide from AbilityPath.org.
Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs
Creating a safe environment for youth with disabilities and for youth with special health needs from StopBullying.gov.
What if Your Child IS the One Showing Bullying Behavior? ( 88 KB)
Children who bully can be affected as much as those they target; from the Pacer Center.
Page Bibliography
Young J, Ne'eman A, Gelser S.
Bullying and Students with Disabilities.
National Council on Disability; (2010)
http://sid.usal.es/idocs/F8/FDO27045/Bullying_and_students_with_disabi....