title: Bullying experiences among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders.
abstract: Few studies have investigated bullying experiences among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, preliminary research suggests that children with ASD are at greater risk for being bullied than typically developing peers. The aim of the current study was to build an understanding of bullying experiences among children with ASD based on parent reports by examining rates of various forms of bullying, exploring the association between victimization and mental health problems, and investigating individual and contextual variables as correlates of victimization. Victimization was related to child age, internalizing and externalizing mental health problems, communication difficulties, and number of friends at school, as well as parent mental health problems. Bullying prevention and intervention strategies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada. catcap@yorku.ca
authors.forename: M Catherine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cappadocia
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pepler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010379:Peer Group; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult