Bullying and Students with Behavioral Disabilities: Examining the Intersection of Definition and Behaviors

Abstract

Bullying is a complex phenomenon that is grounded in intricate interactions between an individual and the social and environmental systems that surround the individual. At the present time, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted bully prevention legislation to reduce the prevalence among school-aged youth. Unfortunately, bullying is associated with adverse long- and short-term outcomes, where students with disabilities, including those with behavioral disabilities, may be at escalated risk for involvement and difficulty navigating the effects of prolonged exposure to bullying. Given the complexity of bullying, several participatory roles have been established to help guide identification and intervention delivery by recognizing the reciprocity between bullying and victimization. Most importantly, interventions should be situated within a multitired or component framework and grounded in skill development, where bully prevention programming is delivered to all students based on individual need. By recognizing the risk characteristics and understanding the various student profiles, especially as they related to youth with disabilities, schools can development, adopt, and implementing prevention programming that is designed to simultaneously increase academic, functional, and behavioral development, while decreasing bullying involvement.

Citation

Rose, C.A., Webb, T. and McGillen, G. (2018), "Bullying and Students with Behavioral Disabilities: Examining the Intersection of Definition and Behaviors", Emerging Research and Issues in Behavioral Disabilities (Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, Vol. 30), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 69-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0735-004X20180000030006