Children with Disabilities and Bullying

By |Published On: October 23, 2014|Categories: News|

This week, Joni’s been talking about bullying and it’s because October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Although many children are bullied, those with disabilities or special needs are at higher risk. According to a study published in 2013 by the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 38% of children with autism are bullied. And of those children, 69% end up traumatized and 8% were physically harmed. And as we all have heard too many times from the news, some of those bullied children even go so far as to take away their own lives.

So, how can a child with a disability respond to his or her peers who tease and intimidate? For those who are able, they may communicate the situation with their parents and/or their teachers. But this may not be the case for children with autism, children who are nonverbal, or those who miss social cues. That is why it is important for adults to be on the lookout for warning signs of bullying, as well as talk to their children and their caregivers about how to appropriately address the problem. And to help you get the conversation started, here is a great video for kids that depicts a story of how two girls—a bully and a girl with a disability—became best of friends. It will touch your heart, and remind you and your children about how to show the love and compassion of Jesus.

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