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Autism Spectrum Disorder and School Bullying: Who is the Victim? Who is the Perpetrator?

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Abstract

While a growing number of studies indicate associations between experiences of bullying and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is not clear what roles comorbid behavioral problems may play. We investigated the experiences of children with ASD as victims and/or perpetrators of bullying. Children with ASD epidemiologically ascertained participated in a cross-sectional study. Although children with ASD showed significantly increased risk for bullying involvement compared to community children, after controlling for comorbid psychopathology and other demographic factors, increased risks for being perpetrators or victim-perpetrators disappeared while risk for being bullied/teased continued to be significantly elevated. This finding will help guide medical, educational and community personnel to effectively identify children with ASD at risk for school bullying and develop interventions.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Young Shin Kim had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Funding

Supported by NIMH K01MH079317; NIEHS R01 ES021462; Autism Speaks Pilot Grant; SFARI Pilot Grant; Children’s Brain Research Foundation Research Grant; the Jean Young and Walden W. Shaw Foundation; the Daniel X. and Mary Freedman Foundation; and the Dukyoung Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, USA

    Soonjo Hwang

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, 401 Parnassus Ave, Box 0984, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0984, USA

    Young Shin Kim & Bennett L. Leventhal

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Young Shin Kim & Bennett L. Leventhal

  4. Korea Institute for Children’s Social Development, Seoul, South Korea

    Yun-Joo Koh

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  1. Soonjo Hwang
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  2. Young Shin Kim
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  3. Yun-Joo Koh
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  4. Bennett L. Leventhal
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All of the authors participated in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, and preparation of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Young Shin Kim.

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Hwang, S., Kim, Y.S., Koh, YJ. et al. Autism Spectrum Disorder and School Bullying: Who is the Victim? Who is the Perpetrator?. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 225–238 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3285-z

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