Autistic children are more likely to be bullied at home and school: Study

A new study claims children suffering from autism are more likely to be bullied at home by their siblings, as well as their peers in school.

For the study, the team analysed data collected from the 'The Millennium Cohort Study' to conduct their investigation on sibling bullying. Out of8,000 children that were part of the research, close 231 of them had autism.

The results showed two-thirds of autistic children revealed they were involved in sibling bullying by the age of 11. Even though there was a decline in bullying in children with or without autism, there were vast differences in the kind of bullying they were involved in. The team discovered children with autism were more likely to be part of two-way sibling bullying - victim and perpetrator.

"Children with autism experience difficulties with social interaction and communication, which may have implications for their relationships with siblings," study authorDr Umar Toseeb from the Department of Education at the University of York, told a news portal. Adding, "From an evolutionary perspective, siblings may be considered competitors for parental resources such as affection, attention and material goods - children with autism might get priority access to these limited parental resources leading to conflict and bullying between siblings."

The team believes more resources need to be provided to parents who have children with autism so they can tackle the issues of bullying in the home. "Parents should be aware of the potential long term consequences of sibling bullying on children's mental health and wellbeing." Dr Toseeb told a news portal. Adding, "Persistent conflicts between siblings may be indicative of sibling bullying and this should not be viewed as a normal part of growing up."

The study's findings were originally published in the journal Autism and Developmental Disorders.