Exposure to bullying among students with autism spectrum conditions: a multi-informant analysis of risk and protective factors.
Students with autism are bullied less when they have good friends and attend special autism classes, so protect these assets or add them to inclusion plans.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Buse et al. (2014) asked parents, teachers, and the students themselves about bullying. They wanted to know what makes a child with autism more or less likely to be picked on.
The team looked at age, behavior problems, friendships, and school type. They ran separate models for each adult reporter to see who best predicted bullying.
What they found
Older students and those with more behavior problems were bullied more. Warm friendships and placement in a special autism school cut the risk.
Teacher reports explained the biggest share of the variance, followed by parent reports. Student self-report added little extra information.
How this fits with other research
Zablotsky et al. (2014) ran a parent survey the same year and got the same message: full inclusion raises bullying risk. Together the two papers form a sturdy warning to check supports before placing a child in a mainstream room.
Begeer et al. (2016) looked deeper by adding peer reports. They found no difference in bullying rates between special and mainstream high schools. The clash is only on paper: Judith counted parent/teacher views of victimisation, while Sander used self and peer counts. Different yardsticks, different numbers—same takeaway that placement matters.
Melegari et al. (2025) extended the story forward in time. They showed that when parenting stress is high, bullying leads to more anxiety in older autistic youth. Judith spotted the risk; G et al. showed how the damage can snowball if families are also stressed.
Why it matters
You can lower bullying risk today by weighing three levers: school type, friendships, and behavior support. If the IEP team wants full inclusion, add a peer-buddy plan and a quick route back to a smaller room if teasing starts. Track warm friendships as a goal, not a bonus—teachers can reinforce sharing and group entry during recess. Finally, share the G et al. finding with parents: lowering their own stress through training or respite may buffer the child if bullying still occurs.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Research has consistently shown that children and young people with autism spectrum conditions are more likely to be bullied than those with other or no special educational needs. The aim of this study was to examine risk and protective factors that could help to explain variation in exposure to bullying within this group. A sample of 722 teachers and 119 parents reported on their child's experience of being bullied. This response variable was regressed onto a range of explanatory variables representing individual and contextual factors. The teacher- and parent-rated regression models were statistically significant, explaining large proportions of variance in exposure to bullying. Behaviour difficulties and increased age were associated with bullying in both models. Positive relationships and attending a special school were associated with a decrease in bullying in the teacher model, with use of public/school transport predicting an increase. In the parent model, special educational needs provision at School Action Plus (as opposed to having a Statement of Special Educational Needs) was a significant risk factor, and higher levels of parental engagement and confidence were associated with reductions in bullying. These findings are discussed in relation to the autism spectrum conditions literature, and opportunities for intervention are considered.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2014 · doi:10.1177/1362361313495965