Different Tools, Different Results: Comparing Methods for Bullying Assessment in Autistic and ADHD Youth.
Early teen anxiety and withdrawal predict later bullying for youth with autism or ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tracked 546 teens for two years. Each teen had autism, intellectual disability, or was neurotypical.
At age 13 and again at 15 they filled out three bullying surveys. The researchers also scored internalizing signs like anxiety and withdrawal.
What they found
Kids with autism still said they were bullied most often at 15. Kids with ID said the bullying hurt them most.
Teens who showed lots of internalizing signs at 13 were the ones later bullied most, no matter the diagnosis.
How this fits with other research
Freeman et al. (2015) saw autistic teens fall behind in working memory while ADHD peers caught up. E et al. now show the same autistic group keeps facing social harm two years later.
Franke et al. (2019) found autistic teens rate life satisfaction lower than peers. The new data say victimization is one reason why.
Scott et al. (2023) watched autistic university students and saw mental-health networks shift over one school year. E et al. show the shift starts in high school and links to early internalizing signs.
Why it matters
If a young learners client shows anxiety, sadness, or social withdrawal, plan now. Teach assertive replies, safe exits, and peer buddy systems before bullying peaks. Track victimization with the same survey each year so you catch change early.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: It is known that children with disabilities, especially adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are at increased risk for victimization. However, little is known about the impact of victimization over time. AIMS: Primary aims included identifying to what extent risk factors (i.e., internalizing behavior problems and conflict in friendship) related to bullying victimization over time. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: In-depth interviews conducted separately with 15-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), or typical development (TD) and their mothers investigated the experiences of victimization in a two-year follow up to an earlier study at adolescent age 13. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Findings at age 15 demonstrated that the highest rates of bullying continued to be endorsed by youth with ASD. However, youth with ID were found to experience and report the most severe bullying. Longitudinal examination revealed that internalizing behaviors at age 13 predicted victimization experiences at age 15. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: During middle adolescence, youth with ASD continue to experience more frequent victimization. Thus, shifting the focus of interventions that not only target the salient social deficits of ASD, but also address comorbid conditions such as internalizing symptoms, may further contribute to reduction of social isolation and peer difficulties.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2014.06.001