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Study Finds Special-Needs Kids More Often Victimized

Link: Study  Children with special needs are more often the subject of bullying and exclusion, an area study found. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina and The Citadel surveyed nearly 300 children aged 8-17 at clinics in the Charleston region. "Parents often under- reported bullying and ostracism concerns," said lead author, Dr. Kimberly Twyman, a researcher in MUSC's Department of Pediatrics. She stressed the importance of asking children directly about these problems. Children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, behavioral health problems and cystic fibrosis were compared with a control group of children with no diagnoses. Nearly a quarter of elementary school students with behavioral health problems reported significant victimization, compared to 4 percent of the control group. In middle and high school, 41 percent of the autism group reported significant victimization, as did nearly 25 percent of the attention deficit/hyperactivity group, compared to 4 percent of the control group.

Kids keep parents in the dark about cyberbullying

Link: Cyber-bullying
Online bullying could be more pervasive than you think. Three out of four teens were bullied online over the last year, according to a study released this week by psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles. And while that number may seem high at the outset, only 1 in 10 of those kids told their parents or another adult about it, the study showed.

Being Bullied in Youth Inspires These Disabled Women to Reach Out With Puppets

Link: Bullying
The folks at Community Living Haldimand know too much about bullying.
"I was bullied all through public school and high school," says Patti. "Kids would call me names, hit me, and make fun of me. They got quite nasty. And all because I was a little different."

Kids' Bullying Behavior May Have Its Roots in Parenting Methods

Link: Bullying

Children raised by demanding parents are more likely to become bullies, while those raised in nurturing environments are less likely to taunt other children, according to research presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting. "Children learn from their parents how to behave and interact with others," said University of Cincinnati graduate student Elizabeth Sweeney. "Children who experience hostility, abuse, physical discipline and other aggressive behaviors by their parents are more likely to model that behavior in their peer relationships."

Website for Information on Cyberbullying

Link: Resource

Cyberbullying is emerging as one of the more challenging issues facing educators and parents as young people embrace the Internet and other mobile communication technologies. Cyberthreats are a related concern. A cyberthreat is online material that threatens or raises concerns about violence against others, suicide, or other self-harm. There are two kinds: Direct threats are actual threats to hurt someone or commit suicide. Distressing material provides clues that the person is emotionally upset and may be considering hurting someone, hurting him or herself or committing suicide.

What Parents Can Do About Childhood Bullying

Link: Bullying

If you’re a parent concerned about bullying, it’s important to recognize the signs that a child is a bully, as well as the signs of one who is being victimized. This is especially true if your child has a learning disability (LD) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), conditions which make kids more vulnerable to bullying. Being alert and observant is critical, since victims are often reluctant to report bullying.

Effects of Bulling Can Continue into Adulthood

Link: Bullying

Adolescent victims of social bullying in school may continue to feel the effects of depression and anxiety as early adults, according to a University of Florida study published in the journal Psychology in the Schools. "Even though people are outside of high school, the memories of these experiences continue to be associated with depression and social anxiety," said lead author Allison Dempsey.

ScienceDaily: Children Who Bully Also Have Problems With Other Relationships

Link: Science Daily

Students who self-report regular bullying behavior are more likely than their classmates to experience difficulty in relating to their friends or parents, are apt to associate with other bullies, display aggressive tendencies and lack strong moral values, according to a study of 871 students, conducted by researchers at York University and Queens University.

NYTimes.com: A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly

Link: The New York Times

Billy Wolfe, a 16-year-old with learning disabilities, has for several years repeatedly been the victim of classmates' physical assaults and bullying, he and his parents say. They have several binders documenting attacks and subsequent medical treatments. Not satisfied with the response of school officials to the incidents, the Wolfe family this month sued the bullies and are contemplating also bringing suit against their school district.

MSNBC: With help from friend, woman overcomes bullying

Link: MSNBC

abrielle Ford was 20 years old and hiding in her room, driven there by the abuse of vicious bullying she had suffered in school because of a degenerative neuromuscular disease. She asked her mother if she could have a dog, because she desperately needed a friend.

Ford not only got a faithful companion, she also got an entirely new and wonderful life.

Because of Izzy, the coonhound she got, Ford has become a highly sought-after speaker who travels the country in her wheelchair, talking to school assemblies and classes about ways to stop bullying.