Bullying Awareness and Prevention
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October is National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month.
According to the National Autism Association, bullying is an aggressive behavior that hurts, harms, or humiliates another person, whether that be physically or emotionally. It can happen while at school, work, in the community, or even online. Bullying is often done intentionally and repeated, while those who are targeted often have difficulty putting it to a stop. If the behavior continues, bullying can have devastating psychological effects on a person’s mental health causing depression, life-long trauma and PTSD. Not only are individuals with autism bullied, but oftentimes their parents are bullied as well.
Unfortunately, bullying has been shown to be especially prevalent among the autism community. In 2012, researchers from the Interactive Autism Network, via the the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University, conducted a survey of 1,200 parents who had a child with autism, and found that 63 percent of the kids had been bullied. It was also found that these children were 3x more likely to be bullied than their neurotypical siblings.
Reflecting on these staggering numbers, it’s important to acknowledge the facts, spread awareness, and learn ways to help combat and prevent bullying.
5 Things You Can Do:
Treat everyone with respect: Stop and think before you say or do something that could hurt someone else. If you think you have bullied someone in the past, apologize and keep in mind that everyone is different, not better or worse.
Speak up: If you witness someone being bullied, don’t be afraid to speak up. More than 50% of bullying situations stop when a peer intervenes.
Seek outside help if needed: If speaking up seems too hard or not safe, speak with a trusted adult or authority figure about the situation.
Model Kindness and Empathy: As a parent or teacher, it’s important to set a good example by promoting compassion and acceptance of others. By educating students about their peers with disabilities, we can promote a greater understanding of how we all deserve inclusion, acceptance, and respect.
Develop a plan for reporting a bullying situation: Students with disabilities have legal rights when they are a target of bullying. Most states have laws that address bullying. Some have information specific to students with disabilities. For a complete overview of state laws, visit Olweus.org.
If you’re a parent and unsure if your child is being bullied, view our Parent’s Guide to Bullying information kit here. This guide will provide you with information regarding the signs to look out for, how it may affect your child, and what you can do to help them.