Bullying experiences among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders.
Kids with ASD who struggle to talk and have few friends are bullied most—screen these two flags and act early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cappadocia et al. (2012) asked parents about bullying. They wanted to know how often kids with autism are picked on.
The team used a survey. Parents answered questions about their child's friends, talking skills, and mental health.
What they found
Parents said many kids with autism face bullying. The risk jumps when the child has trouble talking or has few friends.
Kids who also show signs of anxiety or depression are hit even harder.
How this fits with other research
van Schalkwyk et al. (2018) asked teens themselves. Half of the high-functioning students said they had been bullied. This matches the parent view and adds a link to social anxiety.
Regener et al. (2024) looked at younger kids in Spain. Autistic 11-year-olds were bullied three times more than typical classmates. The pattern is the same across age and country.
Chang et al. (2024) tracked kids into adulthood. They found that bullying helps explain why autistic youth later think about suicide. The 2012 parent warning now looks like a life-course red flag.
Why it matters
You can spot danger early. Ask about friends and communication at every IEP meeting. If the child has few friends or slow language, add anti-bullying goals and teach peer-entry skills. Also screen for anxiety and depression—treat these right away. Doing both may lower later trauma and suicidal risk.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a two-question screen to your intake: 'How many close friends does the child have at school?' and 'Does the child need help starting or keeping a conversation?'
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Few studies have investigated bullying experiences among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, preliminary research suggests that children with ASD are at greater risk for being bullied than typically developing peers. The aim of the current study was to build an understanding of bullying experiences among children with ASD based on parent reports by examining rates of various forms of bullying, exploring the association between victimization and mental health problems, and investigating individual and contextual variables as correlates of victimization. Victimization was related to child age, internalizing and externalizing mental health problems, communication difficulties, and number of friends at school, as well as parent mental health problems. Bullying prevention and intervention strategies are discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2012 · doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1241-x