How are different groups, such as ethnic minorities, asylum seekers and disabled pupils, affected by bullying?

In an English study carried out in the early 1990s, 186 children from primary and secondary schools were asked about bullying. Ninety three of the children had special educational needs. Almost two thirds of children with special needs said they had been bullied, while only a quarter of children without special needs reported being bullied. According to this study, children with moderate learning difficulties were more likely to be bullied than those with mild learning difficulties. It was also found that children with special needs had fewer friends. It was suggested that this might make it more likely that they would be bullied.
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Article details

D Thomson, I Whitney and P K Smith (1994) 'Bullying of Children with Special Needs in Mainstream Schools' in 'Support for Learning', Volume 9, Number 3.
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Author details

Professor Peter K Smith is Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, London. He has been involved in bullying research for a number of years and has published widely on this topic.

Peter Smith may be contacted by email, and the website of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths College may be found here.
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