Bullying and Teasing of Youth with Disabilities: Creating Positive School Environments for Effective Inclusion (Issue 7)
Harassing someone because of perceived differences (e.g., a disability, sexual orientation)
Being physically attacked/assaulted or abused
Bullying consists of a series of repeated, intentionally cruel incidents between the same children who are in the same bully and victim roles. Bullying is not limited to but can include
Teasing
Spreading rumors or gossip
Ridicule
Verbal abuse
Public shunning or private humiliation and embarrassment
click to edit
Peer victimization, in which students are repeatedly harassed, ridiculed, teased, scorned, and excluded, is one of today‚s most overlooked educational problems (Brendtro, 2001).
How To Stop It
some argue that social and communication skills are central to dealing with teasing and harassment in any successful antibullying efforts (Hoover & Oliver, 1996; Hoover & Olson, 2000; Stein, 1995).
Disability harassment is the form of bullying and teasing specifically based on or because of a disability.
This treatment creates a hostile environment by denying access to, participation in, or receipt of benefits, services, or opportunities at school (PSEA Interactive, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2000).
click to edit
Bullying is the most common form of violence; 3.7 million youth engage in it, and more than 3.2 million are victims of bullying annually.
Since 1992, there have been 250 violent deaths in schools, and bullying has been a factor in virtually every school shooting.
Direct, physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school, and declines in high school. Verbal abuse, on the other hand, remains constant.
Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective.
Twenty-five percent (25%) of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or putdowns and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents.
Olweus (1993) stated that experts must help students exert leadership in recognizing bullying, refusing to participate, and in coming to the aid of victims skillfully and nonviolently.
Schools must begin implementing comprehensive antibullying and antiviolence programs to reduce bullying and teasing of all youth, especially youth with disabilities.
Brendtro (2001) argued that "the quality of youth peer cultures is largely determined by adults," (p. 49), suggesting that the responsibility for curbing negative youth culture falls at least in part on adults.
click to edit
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
click to edit
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