Prevalence and Correlates of Bullying Victimization Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prior research indicates adolescents with developmental disabilities are bullied at a higher rate compared to the general population. Very little is known about the prevalence and correlates of bullying victimization specific to adolescents with autism. To address this gap, we examined nationally representative secondary data to examine two research questions: What is the prevalence of bullying victimization among adolescents with autism? What factors are associated with experiencing bullying victimization?

METHODS: This study used data from wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of adolescents in special education. Details of the NLTS2 study design are presented in the symposium abstract. Bullying victimization was measured using 4 dichotomous indicators that assessed whether the youth experienced any of the following in school during the last academic year: 1) had things stolen, 2) been bullied or picked on, 3) been teased or called names, and 4) been physically attacked. A range of potential correlates of bullying victimization was examined including individual (e.g., gender, race), family (e.g., parental school involvement), peer (e.g., peer support), and school-level (e.g., teacher support) factors. A series of logistic regressions examined the second research question.

RESULTS: The population estimates for bullying victimization among adolescents with autism were as follows: 1) 16.9% had things stolen, 2) 29.8% had been bullied, 3) 44.4% had been teased or called names, and 4) 15.9% had been physically attacked. The odds of being bullied and teased for Caucasian adolescents were at least two times greater than the odds of their African American and Hispanic counterparts. Gender was not a significant predictor of bullying victimization. Adolescents with lower social skills experienced significantly higher odds of having things stolen, being bullied, and being physically attacked.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide nationally representative population estimates for bullying victimization among adolescents with autism. In comparison to the general population, these adolescents appear more likely to experience some form of bullying victimization. Male and female adolescents with autism appear to have an equal likelihood of experiencing all forms of bullying victimization. This gender concordance is surprising given the robust findings from research on the general population indicating males are more likely to experience physical and verbal forms of bullying. This study has important practice implications because bullying victimization is associated with psychosocial and behavioral problems such as depression, anxiety, and academic failure. Interventions need to be tailored to address the needs of adolescents with autism taking into account the factors that predict a greater likelihood of being victimized.