The prevalence and perceptions of bullying in the autistic population: the functionality of social skills training

The current study examined the self-report of bullying experiences and perceptions of high functioning autistic students, as well as the relationship between social functioning and these variables. A sample of 44 children between the ages of 9 and 14 were asked to report their experiences with bullying across educational settings using a revised version of Susan Swearer's The Bully Survey-Student Edition (2001). The students also completed part D of the survey in order to examine their acceptance of bullying behaviors. The social functioning of the children; in particular, their behavioral level and acquisition of particular social skills (conflict resolution, emotional vocabulary), was examined via a teacher completed student-specific survey, as well as daily progress monitoring data. A review of the descriptive data showed a relationship between the students' self-reported prevalences of bullying and their educational setting; in which, students reported less bullying incidences within their current setting as compared to their previous, general educational setting. Using a Pearson-R Correlation, a relationship was not found between the students' mastery of social skills and their perceptions and experiences of bullying. The implications of these results will be discussed for conceptualizing bullying intervention within the autistic population.