Are Disabled Children & Young People at Higher Risk of Being Bullied?

This summary report developed by the NCB Research Centre, the Council for Disabled Children, the Economic & Social Research Council and Institute of Education looks at whether disiabled children are at a higher risk of being bullied.

Bullying is associated with adverse long-term health and social problems among school-aged children and teenagers.Findings from small-scale studies suggest that child disability is associated with a greater risk of being bullied. However, there is a lack of longitudinal quantitative research that explores the relationship of disability with bullying, and there has also been little opportunity to examine this relationship at different ages.

This summary outlines research that builds upon previous findings, using nationally representative data from two studies of children and young people: the Millennium Cohort Study and the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England.

Key Findings:

• Disability is associated with a higher risk of being bullied for both children and teenagers.
• The association between disability and bullying remains even when other characteristics known to influence bullying are taken into account.