ABSTRACT
Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are one group of children who may be particularly vulnerable to bullying (McLaughlin, Byers, … Vaughn, 2010; Rose, Espelage, Aragon, … Elliott, 2011). Blake, Lund, Zhou, Kwok, and Benz (2012) found higher prevalence rates of victimisation amongst students with disability, when compared to mainstream students, in US primary, middle and high schools, ranging from 25% to 34%. Students with social skills and communication problems are particularly susceptible to be victims of bullying (Rose et al., 2011). In a review of studies on victimisation in Europe and North America, McLaughlin et al. (2010) reported that children with SEND faced increased risk of victimisation in both mainstream and special settings, ranging from 80% for students with learning disabilities, 70% for students with autism to 40% for students with speech and language difficulties; some studies indicated that students with mild or hidden disabilities may be even more at risk. Chatzitheochari, Parsons, and Platt (2014) found that primary school students with SEND are twice as likely as other peers to experience chronic bullying.
