Bullying & Autism and Related Disorders

The phenomenon of bullying is seen, at various rates, around the world and impacts children, adolescents, and adults. Individuals with disabilities are particularly likely to be targets. Bullying can take many different forms including cyberbullying and workplace bullying. There are important impacts of bullying both on those bullied as well as those who engage in bullying. In this chapter, we review some of the general aspects of bullying with special reference to individuals on the autism spectrum who are clearly at markedly increased risk. Intervention strategies and research needs, and current legal protections are summarized.