Children with emotional disorders and learning disabilities have a greater chance of being harassed, taunted & teased by bullies. Teaching subtle social skills can help.

Students are harassed and bullied every day in schools throughout the country, neighborhoods and playgrounds, but bullying is even more common in students with disabilities such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), autism or Asberger's Syndrome, or other learning issues, behavioral or emotional disabilities.

 

Dr. Claudio V. Cerullo is considered to be an expert on bullying and bullying prevention programs; he defines bullying as "repeated exposure over time to negative acts on the part of one or more other students. It is a negative action when someone intentionally inflicts, or attempts to inflict, injury or discomfort upon another social, physically, or emotionally."

 

Bullying can be physically aggressive (kicking, hitting or punching), verbally harassing (name calling or threatening), or psychologically hostile (spreading rumors or taking actions that socially isolate a child).Cyber bullying is a relatively new form of bullying that involves using the Internet and cell phone messaging to repeatedly intimidate, threaten or insult another child.

Many researchers also believe that bullying involves an imbalance of power either physical or psychological. For example, a larger, stronger student will often bully a child he perceives as weak. Similarly, children who seem to lack confidence, social intelligence or "emotional muscle" are often bullied by kids who are more confident and aggressive.