Bullying experiences among disabled children and young people in England: Evidence from two longitudinal studies

Bullying among school-aged children and adolescents is recognised as an important social problem, and the adverse consequences for victims are well-established. Despite growing interest in the profile of victims, there is limited evidence on the relationship with childhood disability. Existing quantitative studies tend to cover particular areas and ages, and lack extensive covariates that vary with disability. Additionally, disability definitions differ across studies. This paper enhances our understanding of the risk of bullying victimisation among disabled children in both early and later childhood, drawing on nationally representative longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study and the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England. We model the association of different disability measures with the probability of being bullied at ages seven and 15, controlling for relevant risk factors. Our results reveal an independent association of disability with bullying, suggesting an overlooked mechanism contributing to negative long-term outcomes among disabled children.