Almost half of the poorer mental health we see in teenagers with a disability is due to bullying, our new research shows.

If we could stop the high levels of bullying that adolescents with a disability experience, we could make a big difference to their health, learning and wellbeing.

So school anti-bullying programs need to acknowledge the link between having a disability, being bullied and poorer mental health.

Poorer mental health

Adolescents with a disability are more likely to have poor mental health than other adolescents.

But for a long time, it’s been unclear why. Could it be related to adverse experiences such as bullying?

We know that adolescence is a difficult time for many young people, and they are highly sensitive to their social and cultural environment. Their health and wellbeing are also tied to the social circumstances in which they grow up.

For the estimated 9% of Australian adolescents with a disability, this period can be particularly stressful.

What is bullying?

Bullying is a common and harmful experience of childhood and adolescence. Bullying can be physical (pushing, hitting), verbal (such as teasing and name-calling), or relational (excluding and spreading rumours). Cyber-bullying is also a type of bullying.

There is clear evidence that being a victim of bullying in adolescence is associated with poor mental health.

Internationally, about one-third of children and adolescents report that they have been bullied, and between 10–14% report that this occurred repeatedly over a period of months.

Internationally, population-based studies have shown adolescents with a disability are up to two times as likely to be bullied compared with other adolescents.

The same is true in Australia. Our research has shown that children with a disability and from disadvantaged families are more commonly bullied.

– Tania King & Anne Kavanagh

Read more: Disabled Teens Suffering the Mental Health Effects of Bullying

Image by Morgan Basham from Unsplash