Facts: Students with disabilities are much more likely to be bullied than their non-disabled peers.
Bullying affects a student's ability to learn. Parents of non-disabled children and some educational leaders need to be aware that children with disabilities are already struggling through academic and daily living challenges of adapting to their environment, adding bullying can add even more stress which can result in increase behaviors.
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State Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education:
28.2% of all students in grades 6,8,10 & 12 indicated they have been bullied in the past year.
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16.9% of all students in grades 6,8,10 & 12 indicated they have been bullied 2 or more times a week.
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Highest among 8th graders, 31%.
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16.5% electronically bullied.
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Articles​
Rude, Mean, or Bullying? A Child Therapist Defines the Differences
“Bullying and the Responsibility of Schools”
Addressing Cyber-Bullying​
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Bullying is a chain reaction that affects more than one individual. It should involve all adults who directly supervise the students, bullied students, the students who are bullying, students who join into the bullying, those who think bullying is acceptable but don't join, disengaged onlookers, and possible defenders of the bully.
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​It's "everyone's" responsibility to address bullying, not just the school. ​
Some examples of the consequences of the person being bullied
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school avoidance/truancy
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decrease in grades
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inability to concentrate
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reduced interest in academic achievement
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increase in negative behavior and/or aggression
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increase in drop out rates or suspension
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Possible effects of bullying in school environment
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Bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and make it seem like disrespect is acceptable to show each other.
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Students may feel insecure and not like school
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Students may perceive a lack of control or caring on the part of the adults.
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Bystanders may be too afraid to intervene and feel guilty about it.
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20% of charter school families identified "safety concerns" as primary reason for leaving public school (Mackinac Center, 2018)
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One study shows that 60% of students with a disability report being bullied regularly compared with the 25% of all students. (Source: British Journal of Learning Support, 2008)
Addressing bullying with parents
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Children need to learn self-advocacy to speak up for themselves and know who to ask for help. Self-Advocacy for non-verbal or limited verbal skills can be challenging. Encourage your child to self-advocate using supports they are most comfortable with like writing or using electronic supports. Parents should be especially vigilant of an increase of behaviors that are "out of the norm" and address their concerns with the teacher or the principal.
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Be mindful of your own triggers. This becomes a highly charged, emotional situation among adults very quickly where it's easy to become reactive. For every legitimate situation, there are also false alarms. Critically thinking each situation individually is key. Be careful of parent blaming and shaming. Adults need to work together to resolve the situation.
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You can also call an IEP meeting to address the concerns and determine an action plan to address it. and who is responsible for each action step. Have a blank copy of an action plan chart ready for the meeting.
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Ask open ended questions to help clarify if this situation is bullying or conflict.
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Identify the types of bullying which have been reported. (physical, emotional, relational, cyber-bullying)
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Although the child should be involved in the resolution of a bullying situation, it is never the child's responsibility to fix it. They should be reassured that retaliation won't be tolerated if the student goes to school staff to report bullying they are experiencing.
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For more ways to address bullying, scroll down to "more resources" and click on their links.
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Directors of Special Education or any other school administrator, should be consulted concerning the use of an IEP or 504 Plan to address the unresolved bullying situation.
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As soon as initial interventions do not appear to be effective. Waiting until there is proof that the situation is "bullying" can place students in harmful situations.
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Communicate that the school district shares the same goal; to provide a safe and secure learning environment for their child.
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When appropriate, assure actions and/or interventions have taken place for the student/s who has been accused of bullying. THE DETAILS AND NAMES SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED OR INCLUDED IN THE ACTION PLAN – FERPA. PARENTS GENERALLY WANT TO KNOW THAT ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN.
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Know the law
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have stated that bullying may also be considered harassment when it is based on a student's race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion. Harassing behaviors include:
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unwelcome conduct like verbal abuse, name calling, slurs, etc.
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graphic or written statements
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threats
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physical assault
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Physical threats or humiliation
Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the Department of Education could find a disability-based violation if:
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A student is bullied based on a disability
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The bullying is sufficiently serious to create a hostile environment
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School officials know of or should know about the bullying and
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The school does not respond appropriately
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Reporting and Response:
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Interview the student(s) to hear their side of the story.
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Be mindful of assumptions, judgement and personal bias interfering because a lack of neutrality in this situation will increase the chances of missing critical information.
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Explore any safety issues and make proper referrals.
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Assure the student that you (your team) will be working hard to stop the alleged bullying behavior.
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Ask open-ended questions to help clarify if this situation is bullying or conflict.
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Gather all the information on where, when, how and who may be involved
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On school property? Bus? Online? Etc.
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Ask open-ended questions to determine possible impact on student and/or the educational setting.
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Waiting for proof can put the affected student in danger if the bullying escalates.
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People who can be involved in problem solving the bullying situation: parents/guardians, school counselor/social worker, school psychologist, classroom teacher, director of special education and principal.
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More Resources:
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The toll-free Bullying Prevention Consultation Line invites individuals experiencing chronic and unresolved bullying to discuss effective strategies and available resources to manage school-based bullying. This resource was developed in collaboration with the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (CHPDP), and is available at no cost to students, parents/guardians, and school districts across Pennsylvania. The Bullying Prevention and Consultation Line is 1-866-716-0424. Messages left will be returned during normal business hours Monday through Friday. Please note: this number is not monitored 24 hours a day/seven days a week and should not be used for emergencies.
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PACER Center is a parent training and information center for families of children and youth with all disabilities from birth to young adults. Although it's based in Minnesota, there is a lot of resources for parents to talk with their kids about what's going on, action plans and working with the school district. Click here to access this information.
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Click here for tips on how we can treat people with disabilities with more respect and dignity.
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