Despite the high incidence of bullying among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), little research has been conducted with people with IDD as participants reporting their own perceptions and experiences of bullying. To address this shortcoming, we interviewed 18 adults with IDD regarding these issues. Four major themes emerged from our qualitative analysis of the transcribed interviews: (a) bullying is hurtful, (b) why people bully, (c) bullying takes many forms, and (d) bullying can happen anywhere. Though participants' definitions of bullying and explanations for why people bully aligned well with traditional understandings, several reported incidents of bullying were discrepant from the traditional definition, including incidents of abuse and rude behavior. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Background
Compared to the general population, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) more often experience bullying and its negative social and emotional impacts. Prior studies explored bullying of individuals with IDD primarily through investigations of the perspectives of others and the negative impacts of bullying. The current study examined how individuals with IDD describe their responses to experiences of bullying, with a focus on whether responses included component skills of self‐determination.
Method
Eighteen adults with IDD (50% female) aged 18–63 years were interviewed about their experiences with bullying. Interviews were analysed to determine responses to bullying and the degree to which their responses demonstrated self‐determination.
Results
Data analysis revealed two primary themes, outside support and self‐determination, with additional subthemes.
Conclusions
Findings provide a more nuanced description of the ways in which individuals with IDD respond to bullying, including the demonstration of self‐determination skills. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
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