School Bullying Among Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): The Role of the Educational Setting

Abstract

Students with autism are more likely to be victims of bullying. There are many factors that play a critical role in this. One of these is the school context. This study explores the experiences of bullying among students with autism based on school type. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with children diagnosed with ASD from different regions of Greece. The 16 children who participated in the study were aged between 12 and 15. Four attended special schools, two attended mainstream schools with educational support, and the remainder attended mainstream schools with support from special classes. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, revealing five main themes: (1) school experience, (2) friendship, (3) school bullying management and reactions, (4) where school bullying takes place, and (5) emotions arising from school bullying. The findings suggest that a safe and protective school environment can reduce bullying in children with ASD. These findings could contribute to the development of policies and intervention programmes aimed at addressing bullying in students with ASD.