Bullying and Teasing of Youth with Disabilities: Creating Positive School Environments for Effective Inclusion

Bullying, harassment, and teasing within schools are not only practiced by many students, but have historically been allowed, ignored, and even modeled by adults.

Some feel it is a right of passage to normalize it, and researchers have recently wondered whether bullying may serve some purpose for society

Disability harassment is the form of bullying and teasing specifically based on or because of a disability.

Bullying is becoming more common with students who have disabilities. Bullies tend to focus on peers who seem vulnerable, such as those who are passive, anxious, quiet, sensitive, or unusual in some way.

Some say schools create an environment for bullying. Labeling and separating students based on athletic or academic aptitude provides an atmosphere ripe for support of bullying, teasing, and development of cliques.

Addressing the issue

Create caring communities

Having warm, positive, caring, involved, authoritative adults

Being committed to setting firm limits for unacceptable behavior

Being committed to the consistent application of nonhostile, nonphysical sanctions for offenders

Adopt Comprehensive Whole-School Antibullying Programs

  • Teachers need to be the leaders and model the behavior

Preventing Disability Harassment

Create a campus environment that is aware of and sensitive to disability concerns and harassment.

Weave this issue into curriculum or extra-curricular programs.

Encourage parents, students, employees, and community members to discuss disability harassment and report it when they become aware of its occurrence.

Publicize antiharassment statements and procedures for addressing discrimination complaints.

Provide appropriate training for staff and students regarding harassment.

Counsel both victims and perpetrators of harassment.

Implement monitoring programs to follow up on resolved issues of disability harassment.

Assess and modify existing disability harassment policies and procedures to ensure effectiveness.