Bullying and Victimization Experiences of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Elementary Schools

We explored bullying and victimization experienced by third- to fifth-grade students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), by surveying students with ASD, their parents, and their teachers. A total of 25 triads, each including one student with ASD, one of the student’s parents, and one teacher, were involved in data analysis. We found that all three respondent groups reported high prevalence of bullying and victimization experienced by students with ASD. While students with ASD, their parents, and their teachers reported similar victimization scores, teachers reported significantly higher bullying scores than those found in student- and parent-reports. The three respondent groups showed some differences in bullying status of students with ASD. We discuss implications for including students with ASD in bullying prevention and schoolwide models of intervention to improve the quality of life of students with ASD.