The Impact of Bullying Type and Demographic Characteristics, but not an Autism Relationship, on Adults’ Identification of Bullying

Authors

Abstract

Prevalence rates for bullying vary widely and are likely impacted by adult interpretation of youths’ experiences. This study examined how bullying type, child age, and respondent demographics impact bullying identification. Participants were 588 adults with and without Autism relationships who characterized vignettes as verbal, physical, cyber, or interpersonal bullying or non-bullying. Vignette identification was more accurate for physical bullying and less accurate for interpersonal bullying. Bullying identification in middle school-age vignettes was lower compared to other ages. Participant female gender and White race predicted increased accuracy; there was no impact of an Autism relationship. Researchers and educators should assess for each bullying type and consider how child and observer characteristics impact bullying perceptions.

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