Date Presented 04/05/19
Results of this nationwide survey indicated that school OTs believe they should be addressing bullying against students with disabilities in their practice; however, overwhelmingly they are not. They reported their lack of knowledge and the lack of evidence in our field as primary barriers. This study illuminates the need for our profession to advocate for our involvement in addressing school bullying and for entry-level programs and continuing education to include the topic.
Primary Author and Speaker: Janet Njelesani
Contributing Authors: Beth Schweitzer, Aisha Faulkner, Hayden Jeon
BACKGROUND: In the United States, school bullying is a nationwide problem (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). Every child is at risk for bullying; however, bullying is more prevalent for students with disabilities. When compared to nondisabled students, students with disabilities are three times more likely to be victims of bullying (Rose & Gage, 2017). When bullying occurs at school, it poses a direct threat to students’ mental, emotional, behavioral, and physical well-being, and undermines their participation and functioning at school. With their expertise in mental health and child development, school-based occupational therapists are well prepared to address bullying against students with disabilities (Bazyk, n.d.). Although school-based occupational therapists have the expertise and a professional and ethical responsibility to promote the health and safety of students, there is a dearth of published literature that speaks about their specific role in addressing bullying against students with disabilities.
PURPOSE: Given the importance and growing national emphasis on school bullying and the potential role for occupational therapy, the purpose of this study was to investigate occupational therapists’ practices and roles in addressing bullying against students with disabilities.
DESIGN: A descriptive study design guided the study. Inclusion criteria included working as a school-based occupational therapist in the United States. Participants were recruited via multiple means including AOTA school based forums, school based specialty conference attendee’s lists, state occupational therapy association list serves, and professional social media forums.
METHOD: An electronic survey was distributed nationwide using Qualtrics software to collect information on occupational therapists’ roles, practices, barriers, and perceived competence in addressing bullying against students with disabilities. Data was analyzed descriptively with MS Excel using frequency counts and converted percentages.
RESULTS: A total of 176 school-based occupational therapists responded to the survey. The majority (70%) of respondents reported seeing or hearing bullying against students with disabilities occur at their school. However, many (61%) reported that they do not feel competent to address school bullying due to their lack of training and skills on the topic and the absence of evidence in our field to draw from. The majority (78%) were not aware of the bullying resources that already exist, such as the ones collated by AOTA. With most (85%) reporting that school bullying is an essential topic to address in our field, collectively, they felt that the most important aspects of bullying occupational therapists should address are: self-advocacy, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, empathy, coping strategies, and social participation.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that occupational therapists believe that addressing bullying against students with disabilities should be part of our profession’s role in the school setting. Due to our background in child development and mental health we can work within schools to create safer environments for students with disabilities and further promote their inclusion and participation in school.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This study is important to the field of occupational therapy as it illuminates the need for our profession to advocate for our involvement in addressing school bullying, and for entry level programs and continuing education courses to consider including the topic.
References
National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2015. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=719
Rose, C. A., & Gage, N. A. (2017). Exploring the involvement of bullying among students with disabilities over time. Exceptional Children, 83, 298-314. DOI:10.1177/0014402916667587
Bazyk, S. (n.d.). A new approach to end bullying @ AOTA Everyday Evidence Podcast. Podcast retrieved from https://www.aota.org/Practice/Researchers/Evidence-Podcast/bullying.aspx
