Associating disabilities, school environments, and child victimization

Abstract

Inclusive education has become one of the key policy objectives for the education for children with disabilities in recent decades. However, its effectiveness in promoting happy school life among those children has been questioned. In this study, we aimed to provide a detailed profile of the associations between disabilities and child victimization, and to examine the effects of school environments on those associations. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 4114 school-aged children (6-18 years), who were receiving primary or secondary education in Hong Kong in 2016-2017. Children's experiences of 7 types of victimization in the past year, status of disabilities, type of school attending, and other demographic factors were captured with questionnaire completed by the children or their parents. Apart from descriptive statistics, we conducted logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between disabilities, types of school, and child victimization. Children with ADHD, internalizing disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, and restrictions in body movement were at higher risks of victimization while other types of disabilities were not. Children attending special schools were at lower risks of victimization, while children with disabilities who had been placed in ordinary schools for inclusive education were at higher risks of most types of victimization when compared to children without disabilities. Our findings suggested an important role of the school environments on the associations between disabilities and victimization. When placed in a protective environment, children with disabilities could even be less vulnerable to victimization than those without disabilities.