Dissertation

Bullying of Middle School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Qualitative Exploration of Prevalence and Perceptions of Students, Parents, and Teachers

Bowen, Lisa Joann Watson

2023

Overview

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior that has become increasingly pervasive in school settings. The consequences of bullying manifest as poor physical health, anxiety, depression, poor school performance, school avoidance, and increased risk for students. While no student is immune to bullying, research suggests that students with autism are particularly susceptible to bullying victimization and may be at least three times more likely to be bullied than their typically developing peers. The findings in my study reveal a major challenge and call for heightened concern for the well-being and safety of students with autism who participate in the general education setting. Such concern is particularly warranted in light of the difficulty with social skills, interactions, and communication that are often manifestations of autism.This study examined the prevalence of bullying of middle school students with autism participating in the general education setting from the perspectives of the middle school student with autism, their parents, and their teachers. The extent to which the participants shared similar beliefs about what constituted bullying was also explored. Adolescent students with autism shared their experiences with reporting bullying, the actions that were taken based on their bullying reports, and strategies they employed to address bullying behavior. Parents and teachers also shared their recommendations for reducing bullying incidents within the school.The study revealed that the student and teacher participants shared a common understanding of the definition of bullying and agreed that bullying is prevalent in the school setting. Students recounted bullying experiences that substantiated the prevalence of bullying. Parents did not demonstrate an expansive understanding of what constitutes bullying and expressed an overall satisfaction with school safety and their children’s learning environment. The study revealed that students are more likely to report bullying to a trusted adult staff member at school rather than to a parent. These students expressed strong confidence that staff members would address such situations. In addition, I found that the students developed coping strategies to address bullying behavior, though the strategies are frequently ineffective. The study determined that teachers and parents share similar ideas about how to reduce the number of bullying incidents in the school setting.The study included an analysis of survey responses by 12 parents of student participants with autism and 26 teachers of student participants with autism. It also included interviews with the 12 student participants with autism. The collective results from the interviews and surveys of the study participants revealed that students with autism have experienced some form of bullying while attending school. In addition, the results demonstrated that student participants had a positive relationship with at least one staff member to whom they felt comfortable making reports of bullying. The respondents also provided recommendations to improve the communication regarding bullying prevention, strategies for addressing bullying, and reporting bullying behaviors to reduce the incidence of bullying of students with autism.The study concluded with a set of recommendations for policy and practice. Critical components of the recommendations included district selection and implementation of a bullying prevention program that includes a component of social emotional learning; integration of the bullying prevention program into the curriculum; accountability for implementing the program; and incorporation of parent communication and education as part of the bullying prevention program. Recommendations also include suggestions for future research to address the limitations of this study.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Americans with Disabilities Act 1990-US / Behavior / Communication / Curricula / Disability / Disability studies / Disease control / Education / Exceptional children / Families & family life / Individual & family studies / Individualized education programs / Mental health / Parents & parenting / Public schools / School districts / Social psychology / Social skills / Socialization / Special education / Student attitudes / Teachers / Teenagers
• ISBN: 9798379870928