Cumulative risk effects in the bullying of children and young people with autism spectrum conditions

What is it about?

Research has consistently indicated that students with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are more likely to be bullied than their ‘neurotypical’ peers. A number of studies have also found that specific risks are linked to an increased likelihood of these young people becoming the victims of bullies. This study explores vulnerability to bullying from a ‘cumulative risk’ perspective, where the number of risks rather than their nature is considered. 722 teachers and 119 parents of young people with ASC participated in the study by completing questionnaires. The questionnaire for teachers explored three key aspects: bullying, behaviour difficulties and positive relationships. The questionnaire for parents also included these three aspects, but additionally asked about parental engagement and confidence as well as wider participation. Additional information (e.g. level of educational support provided, mode of travel to and from school) was collected from schools and educational databases. Data collected from the questionnaires and additional information sources were combined with previously established risk factors (e.g. behaviour difficulties, type of school attended), to form ‘cumulative risk scores’ (for parents and teachers separately). There was evidence of a cumulative risk effect in the parent and teacher ‘models’, suggesting that as the number of risks increased, so did exposure to bullying. Furthermore, a disproportionately greater increase in bullying (relative to the number of risks to which the young person was exposed) was found when analysing the teacher model only (this may be due to the smaller number of parents participating in the study, making it more difficult to detect such effects). As a young person’s risk profile is likely to be unique to each individual, and dependent on many different factors, the authors suggest that more attention should therefore be given to the number of risks factors when considering an inclusive school ethos and suitable educational provision.

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