Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Correlating the Victimization of High-Functioning Autism Students with Educational Practices in the Context of Inclusion in Primary Education

Abstract

AbstractBullying and victimization in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a problem of particular importance, as this category of students is at high risk of victimization by other students, which negatively affects their psychosocial and emotional development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the rate of victimization of children with high-functioning autism (AHF) by their peers in primary school, and whether this rate correlates with teachers’ education professionals’ classroom practices for the inclusion. Data collection was conducted using two questionnaires, the Autism Inclusion Questionnaire (AIQ) (Segall & Campbell in Autism inclusion questionnaire, 2007), which explores the educational practices that teachers utilize in terms of including students with ASD in the general classroom (Segall & Campbell in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 6(3):1156–1167, 2012), and the questionnaire on victimization of children with ASD by their peers (Belidou in Autism spectrum disorder and victimization: teachers’ views of the association with theory of mind and friendship (Master thesis), 2017). The survey was based on the responses of 143 teachers who teach primary school students diagnosed with high-functioning ASD. The results showed that 34.3% of teachers observed that AHF children are at higher risk of victimization compared to typically developing children. Also, it was found that there are several educational practices of children with autism, which are associated with the victimization of children belonging to the high-functioning autism spectrum.