Peer Victimization Among Pupils with Disability

Abstract

Starting with an overview of the current scientific knowledge of peer bullying and social exclusion in schools,
considered as a group problem, research on the nature and consequences of this negative relationship among
students with any kind of disability is reviewed. The review shows a higher incidence of victims among
Special Educational Needs (SEN) students compared with non-SEN students, together with differences not
only in how the abuse takes place among peers, but also in relation to the person the victim goes to for help,
depending on the type of disability of the victim –sensory, motor or developmental (intellectual, speech or
communication, autistic spectrum disorders). The article focuses especially on how peer abuse affects pupils
with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and efficient types of intervention focusing on the peer group to change
group relationships are presented.